Inappropriate Relationships: The Unconventional, the Disapproved, and the Forbidden

In one of the great euphemisms of our time, an embattled President Clinton admitted to an "inappropriate relationship" with his White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. But what exactly is an "inappropriate relationship?" For that matter, what is an "appropriate relationship?" And how can an understanding of the rules of "appropriateness" help us understand personal relationships in our modern world?

Contributors to this book discuss the personal boundaries and taboos of modern relationships. Together they examine the power struggles that can occur when individuals are involved in "inappropriate" relationships, and the ways individuals in such a relationship may attempt to buffer themselves against sanctions--or even embrace this relationship as an agent of social change.

Representing work from a range of disciplines, this collection will appeal to scholars, researchers, students, and professionals working on relationships issues in areas across the social sciences, including those working in the fields of social psychology, family studies, social anthropology, cultural studies, and communication.