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The New Laws of Love

Online Dating and the Privatization of Intimacy
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( 103 ratings, 14 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The New Laws of Love, Marie Bergström examines how digital platforms like dating apps have transformed the way we seek love and relationships in modern society. Drawing from sociological research, the book explores the implications of technology on intimacy, the evolving norms in romantic pursuits, and the changing dynamics of online versus offline connections. It provides an insightful look into the digital revolution's impact on our personal lives.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This insightful book may appeal to you if you're interested in understanding how modern technology and social media are reshaping relationships and romance. It explores the intersection of love, dating, and digital platforms, offering a fascinating look at contemporary dynamics in how people connect and communicate romantically.

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"First published in French as Les nouvelles lois de l'amour: Sexualitâe, couple et rencontres au temps du numâerique à âEditions La Dâecouverte, 2019"--Title page verso.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Online dating has become a widespread feature of modern social life. In less than two decades, seeking partners through commercial intermediaries went from being a marginal and stigmatised practice to being a common activity. How can we explain this rapid change, and what does it tell us about the changing nature of love and sexuality?

In contrast to those who praise online dating as a democratisation of love and those who condemn it as a commodification of intimacy, The New Laws of Love tells a different story about how and why online dating became significant. The key to understanding the growing prevalence of digital dating lies in what Marie Bergström calls "the privatisation of intimacy." Online dating takes courtship from the public to the private sphere and makes it a domestic and individual practice. Unlike courtship in traditional settings such as school, work, and gatherings of family and friends, online dating makes a clear distinction between social and sexual sociability and renders dating much more discrete. Apparently banal, this privatising feature is fundamental for understanding both the success and the nature of digital matchmaking.

Bergström also sheds light on the persisting inequalities of intimate life, showing that online dating is neither free nor fair: it has its winners and losers and it differs significantly according to gender, age, and social class.

Drawing on a wide range of empirical material, this book challenges what we think we know about online dating and gives us a new understanding of who, why, and how people go online to seek sex and love.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The New Laws of Love is praised for its insightful examination of the impact of the internet on modern dating. Reviews highlight its balanced approach, avoiding alarmist views and overly optimistic portrayals of online dating. The book is commended for providing nuanced, evidence-based analyses of digitally mediated relationships.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509543526

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 December 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polity Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 268g

Pages: 200

About the Author

Marie Bergström is a researcher at the French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), Paris.

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