Seduction

Rachel O'Neill is Research Fellow in Sociology at the University of York. She received a PhD in Gender and Cultural Studies from King’s College London in 2016. Her work is concerned with intimacy, subjectivity, power and sexual politics.

‘If you have ever wondered why masculinity is so overwhelmingly defined by sexual prowess and the accumulation of women as sexual objects, this book will provide a thoughtful, useful and well-argued answer. This terrain has never been studied before and the liveliness of the writing and the timeliness of the topic are as engaging as the debates in feminist theory the author raises. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding some of the fundaments of heterosexuality.’ Eva Illouz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem‘In this fascinating read, O’Neill takes us beyond sensational headlines about “pickup artists.” Through careful ethnographic research, she refuses easy interpretations of these men as uniquely misogynist or otherwise pathological, and instead places their behaviour in a larger social context. Her analysis demonstrates that the sexism found in this community is a particularly clear manifestation of the intersecting currents of neoliberalism and postfeminism.’ C. J. Pascoe, University of Oregon"This is a brave work of feminist sexual politics that provides an unflinching look into the seduction industry. The author deftly navigates the competing and conflicting justifications of the men who shell out exorbitant amounts of money to become an ideal version of hyper-heteromasculinity at the risk of their psychological and social health."Rebecca Sullivan, University of Calgary"Compelling… O'Neill takes no prisoners in this remarkable book. But nowhere does she lose sight of contextualising the discourse that she scrutinises in relation to larger contexts of injustice and inequality." Times Higher Education "Seduction: Men, Masculinity and Mediated Intimacy is a long overdue publication that will hopefully allow open dialogue around the seduction industry and its overall impact. [O’Neill’s work] is certainly worth spending some time with." the f word“The brilliance of O’Neill’s books is how she looks past the “spectacle of seduction” to uncover knowledge practices and logics embedded in seduction communities as ordinary or an amplified example of issues and attitudes beyond the community.”Men and Masculinities

• Introduction1 The Work of Seduction2 Pedagogy and Profit3 Manufacturing Consent4 Seduction and Sexual PoliticsConclusion: Against SeductionPostscript: Power and Politics in Feminist FieldworkAppendicesReferences