Looking for Interviews with Polyamorous Women

[swheeler11]

Originally Posted by Derbylicious

Why only US residents?

Hi Derby,

It's US-only simply because it'd be very difficult for me to adequately analyze polyamory from nation-to-nation/culture-to-culture without making sweeping generalizations. I wouldn't want to make assumptions about its significance in other parts of the world, so I'm sticking to the society I know best for now.

[anotherbo]

Why only women? Will you let me participate if I wear a dress? And I still don't understand why no Canadians. Isn't Canada actually our largest state? (I realize I'm asking for a beating here, but since Mono has agreed to take em for me, I don't mind so much!)

Ok, smartass mode *off*. Truth is, I'm fascinated by this sort of research. Or at least, I'm fascinated to have found there really are women who feel empowered by, and interested in, this lovestyle.

A lot of the most insightful, self-aware people posting on this board are women over 35 or living in Canada (especially BC). Or both! So I get why they'd feel left out. Could be a good resource to keep in mind for later research though.

Will you come back here and link your findings when you're done?

[Livingmybestlife]

Your study is not a random sample and you need to be clear about that.
By limiting your age range, you are showing bias. I personally would find your word of queer women to be offensive. I think most people consider themselves lesbians.

[AutumnalTone]

Originally Posted by Livingmybestlife

I personally would find your word of queer women to be offensive. I think most people consider themselves lesbians.

Why would you think the word "queer" is offensive? I know many young women who identify as queer, some of them are bisexual and yet others are genderqueer (who wake up some mornings wondering why their penises are missing)--and they're poly, too.

I'm thinking a study that concentrates on those young women would be both fascinating and valuable.

[Rarechild]

People! You must to delimit to conduct research. That is how research works! You can't do research without setting parameters or else it's meaningless and has no context.

Livingmybestlife- no one said it was a "random sample", and "queer" is a widely accepted positive term, at least where I'm from. In fact, it's in the term hall of fame! Once negative, now reclaimed as positive, as some poly folks hope the term "slut" will someday do.

Lovingly,-members, this is not your paper, so don't tell the OP how to do it. I feel like everyone's being argumentative when all that was respectfully asked is do you want to participate. It's not like this one research project will define polyamory for all humanity. Cripes.

Originally Posted by GroundedSpirit

I might mention that if you want more real value other than a passing grade for a class from your research, you may want to consider dropping your age restrictions you originally posted.

I suspect that what you would find is that particular subset (broad generalization that should hold) will be a group that is still 'finding their way' in general - in life as well as polyamory. Correspondingly, you will likely find much corresponding with the mistakes, misunderstandings, lack of experience/knowledge etc. In other words, many of the struggles and horror stories so prevalent.

GS

What a fucking ageist, insulting crock, GS. Does not hold. (deleted outrage) Oh, nevermind.

Swheeler11-Good luck! I would also be interested to know what you find and I'm sure people would appreciate your posting your survey questions on this thread.

[redpepper]

thank you rarechild. I'm not as frustrated as what you seem but I do agree with you in that I understand research, having come from an intellectual family who all have educations much higher than myself.

My brother is a behaviourist biologist studying spiders somewhere in california (he is canadian btw anotherbo and we ARE NOT ONE OF YOUR STATES we actually have a culture and way of being that is completely unique and different from Americans. Hellllo, what do they teach you all in school, anything about history and geography, jeesh ).... if he decided to conduct his PHD research to all spiders of one family it would be impossible to write on anything of value. He has a very specific course of research and data collection that needs to be specific if it is to ever be finished and useful.

Sure it sucks that those of us who are old can't participate or those of us that are male can't, or those of us that are not queer can't, or those of us that are not american, but there will be studies that revolve around us and eventually, if there is enough, then these studies can be compared and then can be used to figure out this poly shit.... not one person can do it all. Isn't it enough that anyone is interested at all?!

so you go swheeler11!
Thanks for considering any poly population as worth studying. Please tell us your findings when you are done. I for one, would be grateful.

[Livingmybestlife]

Why do I find the word queer offensive. I know it is because my gay friends find it offensive. I have no clue why. They do, and since that is their culture I respect what they say. I gucess I try and respect there wishes and perhaps I am obvious to what the whole gay community finds acceptable. However, I do have a wide circle of gay friends and attend parties in their homes, so I would say I am not clueless either.

As for my reasons for questioning the study, I don't always translate well in writing and truly just don't understand the bias of the study in general. I am all for studying polyamory.

So I apolgize for offending, I was curious how culture was defined and had actually edited my post, but didn't come through.

L

[Magdlyn]

Originally Posted by swheeler11

Hi Fidelia,

My thesis intends to explore how women's polyamorous identities intersect with their other (racial, ethnic, sexual, etc.) identities, as well as how their participation in polyamory affects their membership in other communities.

Also, there is relatively little academic research on polyamory, and what exists tends to focus on middle-to-upper class, white, bisexual women--so I want to focus on less represented populations within the polyamory community, namely women of color, queer women, and working class women.

Originally Posted by Magdlyn

Why such young women? We older ones with grown children have more time (and energy) to play!

I'd like to apologize as well. I missed in your post where you said us old white poly women had already been studied. I'd like to see links to those studies!

BTW, I am queer and genderqueer and have no problem with those labels. Quite the opposite.

[redpepper]

Just a point of interest, some gay men and lesbians don't think bisexuality exists (among other things) and think there is only straight and homosexual. Perhaps this is the aversion to *queer?*

[AwesomeSauce]

Originally Posted by Livingmybestlife

Why do I find the word queer offensive. I have no clue why.

L

I was completely content lurking until I read this. I'm a bisexual woman who identifies as queer. If you're going to be offended by something, you should have a better reason then "other people I know are so I am, too".

Hopefully I'll type up a proper introduction soon.