Jealousy

Examines the social patternings and popular conceptions of jealousy, its internal mechanisms, and therapeutic and educational means of modifying jealous feelings and behavior

Thanks for your interest in our book "Jealousy, Third Edition". This book is the updated version of the standard reference work on jealousy. It has been translated into Spanish, Italian, and Greek. First published in 1977 by Prentice-Hall, "Jealousy" is an anthology of writings by sociologists, psychologists, and others. It will be useful to researchers, students, therapists, and counselors and to individuals and couples seeking a better understanding of their feelings and relationships. Contributors include Kingsley Davis, Margaret Mead, Jessie Bernard, Robert Whitehurst, A. S. Neill, Albert Ellis, Chris Downing, Ellen Berscheid, and Elaine Hatfield. There are chapters on Sigmund Freud and Stanley Schachter. Three articles from popular magazines reveal how jealousy changed as a result of the "sexual revolution." Smith and I provide chapter introductions and a Synthesis. The third edition includes four articles in which I summarize the main findings about jealousy and provide a model for the sociological study of emotions. The new edition is one-third longer than the first edition. It includes a comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography of 200 items. Unlike many popular treatments, this book does not assume that jealousy is always bad, that the jealous individual is morally or psychologically defective, nor that any particular lifestyle is for jealousy. Jealousy is a protective reaction to a perceived threat to a valued relationship or to its quality. Jealousy protects marriage (and relationships leading to marriage) from adultery (and other forms of betrayal). Although often dismissed as useless, jealousy is useful because it helps to preserve marriage, thus contributing to social order. Although some episodes of jealousy are inappropriate and unconstructive, some jealousy is necessary to protect love and marriage. A balance must be struck. Although neither Lynn Smith nor I are clinicians, we hope that readers of our book will find it useful for understanding jealousy in themselves and others. We encourage an emphasis on normal jealousy, rather than pathological jealousy. We believe that most jealousy is best understood as a relationship problem, rather than as a personal problem rooted in the psychological inadequacies of the individual and that most jealousy should be treated by couple therapy or relationship counseling, rather than by private psychotherapy for the jealous partner. We do not believe that most jealousy is caused by low self esteem. Here is some information about us Geneva

GORDON CLANTON, Ph.D., teaches sociology at San Diego State University. He is a pioneer in the sociology of emotions, with special attention to love, jealousy, and envy. He has discussed jealousy on "Donahue," 20/20 and other television and radio programs.

LYNN G. SMITH, Ph.D., is a social psychologist who specializes in corporate planning and evaluation for non-profit organizations in San Francisco. Here are some excerpts from reviews of "Jealousy" I'm pleased to see the excellent anthology on jealousy by Clanton and Smith back in print in an updated edition. The book' s classical and contemporary social science analysis of jealousy, together with the insightful introductory and integrative comments by the editors, remains unsurpassed as a scholarly and teaching resource on sexual jealousy . . ."Steven L. Gordon Sociology Department California State University, Los Angeles This is a very useful, well-edited book on a most controversial problem. It contains selections from the whole spectrum regarding jealousy. The editors offer their synthesis, but essentially the reader must draw his or her own conclusions." Carl Rogers Center for Studies of the Person Lynn Smith and I would enjoy hearing from you.

Thank you,

GORDON CLANTON Department of Sociology San Diego State University San Diego, California 92182-4423 gclanton@mail.sdsu.edu