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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Hump Day Meets LitFest for “Sex at Dawn”

Happy Hump Day, Badgers!

In the spirit of the upcoming LitFest, this week I’m going to review one of the best books on human sexuality I’ve read in a very long time–“Sex at Dawn,” by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jeth?.

“Sex at Dawn,” which was published in 2010, is an incredibly provocative, hotly debated non-fiction (some might go as far as to say “scientific”) account of why human monogamy is unnatural. That’s right: why partnering for life–and, um, that little thing we call marriage–is unnatural.

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In their account, the authors argue that although there was once a time when monogamy made sense economically (during which time a woman would exchange exclusive access to her, erm, goodies for physical protection and economic stability), that time has passed. Monogamy is no longer a sustainable lifestyle for modern Americans, as technological advancements have created a culture in which women need not rely on a single man for childbearing.

To build their argument, Ryan and Jeth? trace human history back to our earliest ancestors, exploring topics ranging from the egalitarian nature of humans to the historically communal practices of childbearing, from the non-monogamous sexual behaviors of our closest primate relatives to the biological male patterns of sperm competition–all of which ultimately favor polyamorous sexual relationships over monogamy.

The bold and witty authors ultimately claim that monogamous pair bonding is an irrelevant, outdated cultural adaptation to the agricultural revolution–an adaptation we must take the time to understand in our culture as our divorce rates continue to rise.

Not surprisingly, “Sex at Dawn,” a book that destabilizes the foundations of monogamous marriage, has found popularity in the LGBTQA community. Savage Love podcast producer, sex columnist, and LGBTQA advocate Dan Savage cites “Sex at Dawn” as “the single most important book about human sexuality since Alfred Kinsey unleashed Sexual Behavior in the Human Male on the American public in 1948.”

If you’ve got time over Spring Break, badgers, give it a read and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your reviews.

Don’t forget to be on the lookout next Wednesday for my next column. ‘Til then!

Send Mary some suga at [email protected].

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