Date of Award

1-1-2015

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Elizabeth A. Suter, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Erin Willer

Third Advisor

Eleanor McNees

Keywords

Communication, Heteronormativity, Interpersonal relationships, Monogamy, Mono-normativity, Mono-realism

Abstract

Through the lens of relational dialectics theory (RDT; Baxter, 2011), this study examines the various discourses of monogamy and works to understand how monogamy is granted power through communication. Data for the study was gathered via qualitative surveys. A contrapuntal analysis identified two competing discourses: (1) the discourse of mono-normativity and (2) the discourse of mono-realism. The discourse of mono-normativity is taken for granted as the ordinary way to conduct romantic relationships. As such, it is granted power and idealized. The discourse of mono-realism disrupts the discourse of mono-normativity, as it challenges the idealization of monogamous romantic relationships. The discourses were fraught with discursive struggle; however, they also combined to create a new way of animating the meaning of monogamy.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Stephanie K Webb

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

70 p.

Discipline

Communication

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