Situational Sexual Behaviors: The Ideological Work of Moving toward Polyamory in Communal Living Groups
Drawing on interviews and participant observation, I analyze two communal living groups where members are encouraged to participate in the practice of polyamory. Through examining the ideological work these members perform as they transition from monogamous relationships to polyamorous practice, I reveal how circumstances shape sexual behavior. More specifically, I demonstrate how members practice and sometimes embrace a nonmonogamous relationship model because of links between structural and cultural factors in the communities and because of the ideological connection members draw between feminism and polyamory.