Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Cacilda Jetha, Christopher Ryan

Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Cacilda Jetha is a provocative exploration of human sexuality and its role in the development of modern relationships. Drawing from evolutionary biology, anthropology, and psychology, Jetha shows that our biological and social tendencies, particularly those concerning sex and monogamy, can offer insight into our current predicaments.

In Sex at Dawn, Jetha proposes that human beings have not evolved for a strictly monogamous lifestyle. She emphasizes that human sexuality and mating strategies are complex and vary dramatically among individual cultures. By carefully examining research from the fields of evolutionary biology, anthropology, and psychology, she challenges traditional assumptions concerning sexual behavior, the desirability of monogamy and our concepts of loyalty, fidelity and commitment.

In her book, Jetha contends that traditional norms governing romance, parenthood and marriage, while constraining, are also largely cultural constructions that do not necessarily reflect the realities of our species’ sexual behavior. She targets the notion of pair bonding, which she suggests has little basis in evolutionary history and instead relies heavily on cultural conventions and beliefs. Similarly, she challenges the myth of sexual dimorphism and argues that biological determinism is not an effective basis for making decisions about partner choice, sexuality and family dynamics.

Throughout her book, Jetha draws on extensive scientific evidence to question the rigidity of traditional ideas and conventions of sexuality, monogamy and marriage. She focuses on exploring the evolutionary and cultural histories surrounding different mating behaviors, creating a multifaceted picture of how humans have historically engaged in sexual relationships. Drawing from her research, she contends that monogamous relationships are not a natural phenomenon, instead “the vast majority of human cultures have engaged in at least occasional—and sometimes even serial—nonmonogamous relationships.”

Jetha also explores the implications of her research for the formation and success of modern relationships. In her view, it is not necessarily wrong to embrace nonmonogamous behaviors, provided that both partners knowingly and willingly enter into such arrangements. She advises that partners should be open and honest about their desires and should equally share the labor as well as the rewards of these unions. Equality, she claims, is the key to relationship satisfaction and stability.

In conclusion, Cacilda Jetha’s Sex at Dawn offers a fascinating exploration of human sexuality and its implications for the formation of modern relationships. By challenging traditional assumptions about the desirability of monogamy, she encourages readers to consider nonmonogamous behavior as a potentially healthy alternative. Critically thinking about the effects that our social constructions have on our relationships, she ultimately provides interesting insights into how we can create higher-functioning partnerships.