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Portrait Sara Eldén. Photo: Emma Lord.

Sara Eldén

Associate Professor | Director of Research Studies | Senior Lecturer

Portrait Sara Eldén. Photo: Emma Lord.

The Threat or Promise of Popular Therapy? A Feminist Reading of Narratives of 'the Good Couple'

Author

  • Sara Eldén

Summary, in English

Popular therapeutic culture—such as self-help books, TV programmes, and Internet resources—is growing rapidly and posing important questions for feminist research and politics. On the one hand, it can be seen as a challenge to the public sphere in terms of what can be shown and said and by whom, with the emancipatory potential of giving political credentials to the personal. On the other, it can be seen as exploiting, and thereby reproducing, stereotypes and inequalities, such as those related to gender. In this article, the discussion is advanced by the use of Swedish popular therapy for couples as a point of departure. It is argued that a cultural narrative of the “good couple” is constructed in self-help books and TV programmes on relationship issues, a narrative that seems to keep the unequal nature of this heterosexual institution from being challenged. However, in the individual narratives of consumers of this culture, apparent on web discussion boards, the cultural narrative of the “good couple” is being challenged, not least with reference to gender and gender inequality.

Department/s

  • Sociology

Publishing year

2011

Language

English

Pages

114-162

Publication/Series

NORA - Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research

Volume

19

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)

Keywords

  • sociologi
  • sociology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1502-394X