Profile

My research examines the structural factors responsible for alienation in the United States and its relationship to the idealization and pursuit of romantic love. Romantic love is considered by many in our society to be the highest form of intimacy, and by examining it I hope to shed a critical light on relationships in general. If certain barriers to intimacy exist in romantic relationships, what about relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors?In my dissertation, “Together and Alone: Intimacy and Alienation in the Age of Competitive Individualism,” I argue that romantic love as an ideal exists because of the lack of community inherent in a competitive, individualistic society; the romantic partner becomes a replacement for the community individuals once relied on for material and psychological needs. At the same time, decreasing social networks and pervasive alienation create a psychological climate that inhibits the ability to develop and maintain intimacy in relationships. Individuals are encouraged to be self-interested from an early age and approach romantic relationships with a consumer mindset, looking for the best value on the marketplace (e.g. attractiveness, income, intelligence) while simultaneously appraising their own worth. This commodification discourages intimacy by placing a greater emphasis on meeting needs rather than developing understanding and empathy in the relationship.

The empirical section of my dissertation analyzes self-help books and romantic comedies for romantic ideology. My findings suggest the dominant ideology of romantic love promotes long-term, monogamous relationships as the primary way to meet a person’s psychological and physical needs. Moreover, the ideal relationship is based on gendered needs and responsibilities: men are expected to provide material support and physical protection, while women are expected to provide emotional support through admiration and sexual intimacy. Romantic ideology encourages an artificial dependency by expecting men to rely on women for emotional support, and women to rely on men for their economic and physical survival. It also reinforces self-interest in relationships by placing greater emphasis on meeting needs rather than developing intimacy (e.g. knowledge, concern) for its own sake.

In addition to my research interests I am passionate about teaching sociology, having served as instructor for Drugs in American Society and Sociology of Mass Media several times at the University of Oregon. My teaching interests also include social psychology, criminology, social theory, political economy, and introductory courses.