Marie Bergström is a Swedish sociologist and researcher, working in France for the National Institute for Demographic Studies. Marie's more recent research has specialised in the analysis of online dating.
In this session, Marie will be discussing her book The New Laws of Love: Online Dating and the Privatization of Intimacy. This book tells a different story about how and why online dating became big. The key to understanding the growing prevalence of digital dating lies in what Marie Bergström calls “the privatisation of intimacy.” Online dating takes courtship from the public to the private sphere and makes it a domestic and individual practice.
Unlike courtship in traditional settings, such as school, work, and gatherings of family and friends, online dating makes a clear distinction between social and sexual sociability and renders dating much more discrete. The book also sheds light on the persisting inequalities of intimate life, showing that online dating is neither free nor fair: it has its winners and losers, and it differs significantly according to gender, age and social class.
The Mishcon Academy offers outstanding legal, leadership and skills development for legal professionals, business leaders and individuals. Our learning experts create industry leading experiences that create long-lasting change delivered through live events, courses and bespoke learning.