Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy

by Mark Regnerus Narrated by Mike Chamberlain

Overview

Sex is cheap. Coupled sexual activity has become more widely available than ever. Cheap sex has been made possible by two technologies that have little to do with each other-the Pill and high-quality pornography-and its distribution made more efficient by a third technological innovation, online dating. Together, they drive down the cost of real sex, and in turn slow the development of love, make fidelity more challenging, sexual malleability more common, and have even taken a toll on men's marriageability.



Cheap Sex takes listeners on an extended tour inside the American mating market, and highlights key patterns that characterize young adults' experience today, including the timing of first sex in relationships, overlapping partners, frustrating returns on their relational investments, and a failure to link future goals like marriage with how they navigate their current relationships. Drawing upon several large nationally-representative surveys, in-person interviews with 100 men and women, and the assertions of scholars ranging from evolutionary psychologists to gender theorists, what emerges is a story about social change, technological breakthroughs, and unintended consequences.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

07/31/2017
In this very unsatisfying third book, sociologist Regnerus (Premarital Sex in America) unsuccessfully applies economic theory to the messy realm of modern romantic and sexual life in an effort to understand “the sexual ideas, habits and relationships of Americans” today and what has changed in the past 40 years. Sexual relations, Regnerus maintains, are mediated by a “mating market” through which men acquire sex from women in exchange for commitments: the fewer commitments women demand from men prior to providing sex, the cheaper sex becomes. Regnerus proceeds to argue that the development of reliable birth control, the advent of online dating, and increasingly easy access to pornography have contributed to the dramatic decline in the value of sex. Yet reducing sexual intimacy to a marketplace exchange fails to account for the diversity of human relationships. Most obviously, the marketplace described is by definition limited to men seeking out the services of women. The limitations of the marketplace analysis quickly become apparent when the author attempts to account for same-sex relationships, finally admitting that “the exchange relationship is heteronormative” and offensively suggesting that the fight for marriage equality was “a cultural land grab rather than a product genuine desire.” Among recent books that apply economic theory to contemporary hookup culture (notably 2015’s Modern Love by comedian Aziz Ansari and sociologist Eric Klinenberg, and 2016’s Labor of Love by Moira Weigel), Regnerus’s book is the most clouded by academic jargon and limited in scope. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

"In this groundbreaking book, Dr Regnerus draws on several large, population based surveys to provide a representative overview of what Americans think and do with regard to sexual relationships, supplemented by stories from in-depth interviews with100 young adults aged 24-32 conducted by his research team." — The Family Education Trust Bulletin Issue 170

"This book has the same message as George Gilder's Men and Marriage which came out a couple of decades back... Is this book unduly pessimistic? No, it is quite realistic...and a much needed wake-up call." — Dr Pravin Thevathasan, Catholic Medical Quarterly

"A magisterial study of the changing sexual landscape today, which gives special attention to the impact of the digital revolution on sexual behaviour and relationships. Will become a standard work of reference in the field."
— Anthony Giddens, author of The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love, and Eroticism in Modern Societies

"Mark Regnerus has been a pioneer in the study of how sexuality is changing in modern society. This book is an utterly fascinating, sometimes disturbing, occasionally provocative, brilliantly thoughtful, and always informative account of what he has learned about sex in America in the 21st century. It offers a wealth of insights about changes in how love relates to sex and friendship, in how people form and change their sexual self-concepts, and in the directions of sexual trends. This is an indispensable read for anyone wishing to understand the sex lives of today's adults, as well as how the rapid changes in sexuality reverberate through the complex negotiation of romantic relationships."
— Roy F. Baumeister, co-author of Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength

"Mark Regnerus shows us that when sexual access is plentiful and requires little effort, then sex is cheap—easy to get and not a big deal. The shift from expensive sex to cheap sex was ignited by the pill, fueled by the internet and dating sites and the ready availability of high-quality pornography. The consequences of cheap sex are profound and complex, and not all positive. Regnerus has a breezy, likable way of telling this fascinating and engaging story. A great read."
— Linda Waite, Lucy Flower Professor in Urban Sociology, University of Chicago

"Too many young men in America are checked out from work, family, and community. Why are so many of our young men floundering? In this provocative new book, Cheap Sex, Mark Regnerus argues that the availability of low-cost sex and the decline of marriage have made it harder for young men to embrace adult responsibilities. Everyone concerned about the plight of young men in America should wrestle with the arguments in this important book." — W. Bradford Wilcox, Director, National Marriage Project, University of Virginia

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170929252
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	02/13/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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