Looking for Interviews with Polyamorous Women

swheeler11

New member
Have you been or are you currently in a consensual relationship with more than one partner, where all partners know about each other? Would you describe yourself or your relationship as polyamorous?

I am looking to interview women between the ages of 18-35 about their experiences in polyamorous relationships. I am especially interested in women from diverse race/ethnicities, social class backgrounds, and sexual identities. Participants must be currently living in the U.S. Interviews can be conducted in-person (if local to San Diego, California) or via e-mail.

All in-person interviewees will receive a $15 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. E-mail participants will be entered into a lottery to win one of five $15 gift certificates to either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

This is a research study being conducted as part of a Master’s thesis through San Diego State University. Your participation would be voluntary. You will be asked questions about your experiences with polyamory and its role in your life.

If interested, please contact Sarah Wheeler at [email protected] with a short description about yourself (age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.) and your current or most recent polyamorous relationship. Please also indicate whether you would like to participate via e-mail or in-person interview. Thank you for your interest!
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(Mods, please let me know if this type of posting isn't allowed, or if this is the wrong location for it--I read the forum rules and didn't see anything about research inquiries, but I certainly don't want to annoy anyone!)
 
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.

If you'd like, I can always post my list of interview questions as well. :)
 
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(Mods, please let me know if this type of posting isn't allowed, or if this is the wrong location for it--I read the forum rules and didn't see anything about research inquiries, but I certainly don't want to annoy anyone!)
Appreciate the effort of at least checking first. Will let you know if there's an issue, but I don't anticipate any problems at this time.
 
Why such young women? We older ones with grown children have more time (and energy) to play! :p
 
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.

If you'd like, I can always post my list of interview questions as well. :)

Hi Swheeler,

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.

In order to get a broader understanding of where polyamory CAN lead longer term I think you may need to broaden your perspective.

Just an opinion - and we all know what they are worth..........

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

Hi Magdlyn--to answer your question, I've restricted the age limit to 35 because one of my goals is to explore how a younger generation of polyamorous women see their non-monogamy in relation to the contemporary queer movement. Also, most of the existing academic research on polyamory tends to focus on middle-aged, upper middle class white women, so I'm trying to broaden what demographics are being represented.

In other words, ageism isn't my intention; I'm just trying to explore a different dimension of the polyamory community. :)
 
Hi Swheeler,

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.

In order to get a broader understanding of where polyamory CAN lead longer term I think you may need to broaden your perspective.

Just an opinion - and we all know what they are worth..........

GS

Hi GS,

I completely understand your perspective; however, like I mention above, I'm purposefully targeting a younger demographic because they are so underrepresented in academic research on polyamory. As with any study (especially those about polyamory, which has so many variations and such diversity), I wouldn't claim that my participants' perspectives represent all opinions of/experiences with polyamory, but I do think that valuable insight can come from any age range.

For it's worth, I plan to continue researching polyamory at the doctoral level as well--so this particular study merely represents a starting point for me, and not the full range of exploration I hope to do on the topic. Hope that clarifies it a bit more!
 
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. :)
 
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?
 
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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.
 
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.
 
Jeesh

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.

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.
 
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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 :D :p).... 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! :D
Thanks for considering any poly population as worth studying. Please tell us your findings when you are done. I for one, would be grateful.
 
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
 
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.

:)

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

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.
 
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?*
 
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. :p
 
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