Is the monogamous ideal of romantic love - that one person can meet all of our needs forever - a realistic standard or an unrealistic fantasy? In fact, significant social science research suggests that the standard of monogamy has become a destructive force both on marriages and parenting, and that nonmonogamous relationships actually provide a more viable blueprint for relationships today.<BR>Based on an exhaustive survey into the lives of real people, Swinging in America: Love, Sex, and Marriage in the 21st Century concludes that nonmonogamous relationships such as swinging and polyamory offer a new blueprint for combining sex and love - one that may prove more in line with the way people actually live their lives in our society.<BR>Swinging in America begins with what we know about swingers and the swinging lifestyle, based on personal narratives and over 40 years of sociological research comparing swinging and non-swinging couples on factors such as personal happiness, marital satisfaction, psychological stability, and personal values. The second half of the book explores the historical rise and contemporary decline of monocentrism - the sexually monogamous marriage as the organizing principle underlying our culture - and the implications of this decline for new nonmonogamous relationships and marriages.