Romantic Relationships in a Time of 'Cold Intimacies'

This book addresses the nature of intimacy and relationships in a time of what Eva Illouzcharacterizes as 'cold intimacies'. The contributors to this collection highlight the ambivalenceand tensions contained in 'intimacy' by uncovering a nuanced and complex dynamic, in whichinterpersonal relations and the public sphere are mutually constituted. A range of topics areexplored, including the new conditions of 'choice', the abundance of partners, class andemotional competence, rational decision-making and the specific forms of 'love pain' which canemerge from cooled intimacy. The chapters also shed light on the limits of this theoreticalcontribution, highlighting the importance of parenting, violence, poverty, and other materialconstraints that continue to limit and frame individuals' romantic choices. Overall this volumepresents an interpretation of intimacy that is not just 'cold' but includes practices, desires andfeelings that are safe and dangerous, that bring solace or erupt in violence, that lead tosalvation or condemnation, and where virtual encounters and increased internal and crossbordermobility have altered the relationship between intimacy and (physical/emotional)distance. Romantic Relationships in a Time of 'Cold Intimacies' will be of interest to scholars and studentsacross a range of disciplines, including sociology, social work, social policy and demography, aswell as practitioners and policy-makers with an interest in couple relationships.