At War with Society? Or: Why many People believe Non-Monogamy endangers the social Order. Some Reflections from the History of Sexuality

Nowadays, non-monogamous relationships are facing increased societal recognition. However, they are still seen as unnatural or morally questionable by many.

Furthermore, there exist virtually no options for legal recognition of lifestyles that transgress the monogamous norm. The rejection of non-monogamous relationships frequently reflects stereotypes and assumptions with a long history, often rooted in religion and the law.

Taking a look back into history, it becomes evident that debates about (non-)monogamy were often used to voice fears over societal transformations.

New expressions of sexuality and relationships were discussed to make sense of changes in the social order. The talk presents selected examples in which emerging sexualities and new relationship models that transgressed the monogamous norm were at the center of such discussions.

Focusing on examples from the late 18^th century to the present day, with a focus on the German-speaking area, the talk explores how non-monogamous relationships and sexualities have been understood, which social actors were involved in the debates, and how they tried to make sense of these developments.