2017/09/21 by Katie Barclay · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #History of Emotions Research #Gender, Feminism, and Media #Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes
paper · doi:10.1080/03007766.2017.1378526
openalex publication_date 2017/09/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/22
Using evidence from popular music, this article highlights how contemporary definitions of love combine ideas about the modern self as autonomous and distinct with an emphasis on the importance of sacrifice and devotion to the achievement of successful relationships. The tension between these concepts is manifested in ambivalence to love, with pain, conflict, and violence reoccurring features within popular music. This article argues, that as love is not just a feeling but implicated in structuring intimate behaviors, this understanding of love leads to the naturalizing of conflict and violence in modern relationships.