A population of people wishing to live an alternative lifestyle dedicated to holding multiple romantic partners has developed a significant amount of specialization of terms and protocols. Some view this practice as a self-contiguous community, some as a seperate subculture. Some have specialized to such a degree that the term polyamorous has come to be adopted far and wide to describe this wide range of relationship styles. This lifestyle is outside the norm of western societiy, but is not unknown by any means. There are many more people who practice this lifestyle than identify by any all inclusive label, but in general the preference to have formalized intimate relations with more than one dedicated partner rather than merely sleeping around tends to act as a cohesive communal trait..

Personal interviews of people in the 'poly' community/subculture, how-to books for people interested in persuing this lifestyle, and internet message boards provided the bulk of information available for this project. Psychological and philosophical essays have been written about either the health detriments and evils or the social and emotional benefits and boons of this system. However, there has been little documentation on how these systems actually function in everyday life.

Building deep and meaningful relationships through intimate sexualoving contact, the poly community is indicative of a new subculture that rejects the assumption that love, intimacy and happiness can be found in one person only.

This essay will employ anthropological kinship models to structurally document the basic systems and relationships common in polyamorous relationships, and will attempt to describe the context in which this practice exists.

I will soon be submitting this essay for publication in a journal, and I would like to present the most accurate portrayal of the polyamorous community that I can. I welcome and encourage feedback to achieve this goal.

I am not personally in the scene although many of my friends are. This being said, I have an outsider's perspective on this system and I'm certain that I don't have the finer details correct. I realize that this essay is very short and that it doesn't fully cover everything, but unfortunately I am subject to length limits! Please let me know what you think should be expanded or covered more in detail.

This is an academic anthropological paper, so I am using some fairly obtuse academic jargon here. Here is a basic glossary for the anthropologically unitiated.

If you do send me information, please let me know if you do not wish your name to be included with the final documents. If you do not mind, I will include only your first name under "Personal Correspondence" in the bibliography. This will be posted shortly.

Thank you for reading, and please help me present the best paper that I can of your community!