Empirical Findings on Consensual Non-Monogamy in Austria

Polyamory – understood as a consensual relationship between more than two people based on emotional love and intimate acts over a longer period of time (Ossmann, 2020, p. 363) – has become an uprising topic within the last 20 years.

Yet we still know little, and what we empirically-based understand is mainly based on Anglo-American data.

Financed by the Austrian Science Funds FWF, the project “Polyamory in media, social and identity perspective” explored two aspects that have been falling short in academic discussion so far: The media representation of polyamory, and the German speaking area as source of empiric investigation.

368 newspaper and magazine articles published in Austria, Germany and Switzerland over one decade (2007-2017) have been examined by a qualitative content analysis; furthermore 33 narrative biographical interviews of individuals from 14 polycules based in/around Vienna have been conducted.

The presentation for the conference hosted by the Schwelle Wien in February 2021 aims to highlight two specific aspects of the findings: The intimate love (and life) history, and the importance of sexuality in consensual non-monogamous relationships.

Following questions (by media portrayal held against self-perception) will be answered:

– What happened in one’s sexual history to dismiss monogamy?

– Which value has sexuality in a concept furthermore rooted in consent, comperson, and love?

– Are there implications on how wider society will understand sexuality in the future?

Embedded in the Social Sciences theory of Framing, the findings (which in that form will be presented for the first time ever in the German-speaking area) will not only indicate how media influence public opinion in a seemingly new topic, but furthermore compare those with experiences from within the polyamorous – or to already relate to one of the findings – consensual non-monogamous community.