Dr. Gesa Mayer
sociologist
Main focus: Sociology of Desire
Website/blog: https://www.gesamayer.net/en/
Languages: German, English
City: Hamburg
Country: Germany
Topics: non-monogamies, relationships, monogamy, mononormativity, polyamory, intimacy, love, poly parenting, polyfamilies
Willing to travel for an event.
Willing to talk for nonprofit.
PhD in Sociology, master's degree in Higher Education (MHEd), teacher at Hamburg University of Technology, care worker, musician, member of the Network Critical Relationship Research, polyqueerfeminist, and many other things. I did my doctorate with an empirical study on consensual non-monogamy, which is currently under preparation for being published.
My main sociological interest is research on intimate relationships: Why and how do people live and love as couples, in open and/or polyamorous relationships? What do monogamous and non-monogamous ways of living have to do with social discourses, norms, power and gender relations? How accepted, discriminated, and/or emancipatory are 'alternative' models of relationships and family beyond the hetero- and mononormative couple relationship?
Depending on the type of event and the interests of the audience, my talks, workshops, interviews, and publications on topics such as romantic love and mononormativity, informal or consensual non-monogamies, open and polyamorous relationships, gender and desire may have an introductory character suitable for an everyday understanding but may as well address more specific sociological-theoretical issues.
Examples of previous talks / appearances:
04.10.2022 - Disputationsvortrag (Verteidigung der Doktorarbeit) an der Fakultät für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Hamburg
This talk is in: German12.09.2021 - Buchvorstellung und Diskussion, gemeinsam mit diversen Autor*innen des Bandes, im Rahmen des "Labors für gelungene Abhängigkeiten", Denk- und Produktionsort Libken e.V., Uckermark
This talk is in: German15.11.2019 - Part of the panel "Reconfiguring the dichotomy monogamous and non-monogamous: Comparing gendered divisions of labor, concepts of love and everyday practice", with Dr. Michael Raab, Dr. Cornelia Schadler, Dr. Christian Klesse (Network Critical Relationship Research). 3rd Non-Monogamies and Contemporary Intimacies Conference, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
This talk is in: English07.08.2019, Veranstaltungsreihe gesellschaft*macht*identität, Univerisität Hildesheim
30.06.2018, im Rahmen der 24 Stunden Vorlesung, Universität Rostock
Sep 2nd, 2017, at the 2nd Non-Monogamies and Contemporary Intimacies Conference, Aug 31st – Sep 2nd, 2017, Sigmund-Freud-University, Vienna, Austria
This talk is in: EnglishMai & Juli 2016, Queere Ringvorlesung, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main & Queere Ringvorlesung, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg & Queerreferat der Aachener Hochschulen
February 2016, Polyamory Day. Polyamory, Consensual Non-Monogamy and Relationship Anarchy. Manchester Metropolitan University
This talk is in: EnglishJanuar 2016, Ringvorlesung que(e)r_einsteigen, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Juni 2015, Ringvorlesung Jenseits der Geschlechtergrenzen, Universität Hamburg & FHW, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
Februar 2013, zusammen mit Christian Schütze, Intros – Gesellschaftskritische Einführungsveranstaltungen, Hamburg
Einfach mehrfach lieben? Abgrenzungs- und Berührungspunkte von Mono- und Polyamory /// Mono-Poly – Monogamie-Norm und Polyamory (zusammen mit Robin Bauer) // Wieso, weshalb, warum offen/poly leben? (Workshop) /// Mono- vs. Poly-Normativität? Beziehungsnormen – und was wir dagegen haben (Workshop) /// RZB revisited – Zur Kritik der romantischen Zweierbeziehung und ihrer Alternativen (Workshop) /// Kommentar zum Doku-Film Schlampenau, eine Schlampolygarchutopie /// Monogame Mangel-Erscheinungen. Die Monogamie-Norm und ihre Logik des Mangels /// Traute Zweisamkeit? Die Macht der Norm, monogam zu leben ///