New book: Seduction: Men, Masculinity and Mediated Intimacy

*Seduction: Men, Masculinity and Mediated Intimacy*

Rachel O’Neill, Polity 2018



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 40% off the standard retail price, purchase via the Wiley website using
code ‘PY966’. Offer valid until 31 July 2018.

https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Seduction%3A+Men%2C+Masculinity+and+Mediated+Intimacy-p-9781509521562


<https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Seduction%3A+Men%2C+Masculinity+and+Mediated+Intimacy-p-9781509521562>Dr
Rachel O'Neill

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Department of Sociology
University of York
YO10 5NG

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