Distant Closeness?

Intimacy in an Alienated Society

Jessica Mjöberg, Uppsala University / University of Skövde, Sweden

The interest in intimacy has indeed increased in sociology during the last centuries. This interest runs in a number of directions. One direction concerns social theories emphasizing intimacy in a late modern society. A second direction is constituted by an empirical critique implying that theories of intimacy, when synonym with personal or close relationships, have become empirically weak and moreover fairly fashionable a concept. A third direction building upon as well the social theories as the dominant empirical research in close relationships is formulated as a queer critique searching for understandings of new forms of intimacy beyond the family. Common for all three directions is the usage of the concept intimacy and a focus on the contemporary society, an era often described as individualized, reflexive, alienated and distanced.

What still is missing is an analysis of what we actually mean by intimacy, which clearly has consequences on how we can understand and where can we find intimacy under the conditions of the late modern society. Drawing from the current research my point of departure is that intimacy could be seen not only empirically and theoretically in relation to family and friends. Intimacy – I propose – could also be used analytically. From a social psychological (interactionist) perspective I want to suggest a preliminary understanding of intimacy as an analytical concept. This means viewing intimacy as a certain kind of quality in relationships that dwells on the line between the subject and the intersubjective. In this way we might reach a further understanding of relationships in the late modern society in particular as well as to relationships in general.