Treena Orchard says an approach to intimacy and human connection called relationship anarchy is becoming especially popular among millennials and Generation Z. The associate professor at Western University’s school of health studies spoke with People First Radio about the subject, which she had previously covered in The Conversation.
“Relationship anarchy is an approach to relating broadly that draws from different principles from anarchy in the sense it’s anti-capitalist, it’s anti hierarchical, and it’s very much community oriented,” said Orchard.
“It’s sort of an idea and a practice that people have introduced to get more pleasure, more equity, and also more freedom in how they relate to intimate partners, friends, lovers, family members, et cetera.”
Orchard says the approach is like “ customizing the way that you interact with different people in, in your life based on kind of the emotional infrastructure that you’re interested in.”
She says relationship anarchy is distinct from polyamory. She says relationship anarchy has a focus on doing away with traditional expectations that may come with categories like friends, family, and lovers.
“ Relationship anarchy is all about kind of making that much more equitable. You know, your parents are not more important to you than your lover,” she said.
Orchard says she isn’t presenting relationship anarchy as an idyllic approach.
“I think it’s complicated, but I think it’s very interesting and it’s growing in interest reflects people’s desire to stretch the containers that they’re in, or at least think about doing things differently that might feel better for them.”
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