 |
 |
I’m delighted to announce two events, one in London and another in York, to mark the launch of my new book Seduction: Men, Masculinity & Mediated Intimacy (Polity, 2018).
Both events will include a panel discussion where speakers will offer responses to the book alongside more general reflections on gender and sexual politics. Receptions will follow, and books will be available for sale.
Thursday 7 June, 5-7pm
Room 137, Richard Hoggart Building, Goldsmiths, University of London
Hosted by the Centre for Feminist Research
With Lynne Segal, Melissa Tyler and Simidele Dosekun
No need to register
Monday 11 June, 4-6pm
Room W/222, Wentworth College, University of York
Co-hosted by the Department of Sociology and the Centre for Women’s Studies
With Rosalind Gill and Victoria Robinson
Free registration: https://www.
About the book:
Within the so-called ‘seduction community’, the ability to meet and attract women is understood as a skill which heterosexual men can cultivate through practical training and personal development. Though it has been an object of media speculation – and frequent sensationalism – for over a decade, this cultural formation remains poorly understood.
In the first book-length study of the industry, Rachel O’Neill takes us into the world of seduction seminars, training events, instructional guidebooks and video tutorials. Pushing past established understandings of ‘pickup artists’ as pathetic, pathological or perverse, she examines what makes seduction so compelling for those drawn to participate in this sphere.
Seduction vividly portrays how the twin rationalities of neoliberalism and postfeminism are reorganising contemporary intimate life, as labour-intensive and profit-orientated modes of sociality consume other forms of being and relating. It is essential reading for students and scholars of gender, sexuality, sociology and cultural studies, as well as anyone who wants to understand the seduction industry’s overarching logics and internal workings.
For further information, see the publisher’s website:
http://politybooks.com/