In contemporary Western societies, an increasing number of areas of everyday life are becoming medicalized. In the 21st century, individuals are increasingly seeking to improve all areas of their lives (including their relationships), which alignes with the prevailing neoliberal imperative of optimization. Advances in neuroscience have led to new discoveries that may excite some, while others are justifiably concerned. The findings and interpretations of various studies have sparked the idea among some passionate advocates of human enhancements that biotechnology could be used to enhance intimate and sexual relationships, which I critically analyze and question in my thesis. I am interested in how advocates of the medicamentous enhancement of intimate partnerships argue their beliefs and what kind of discourse on intimate partnerships is being formed in this process. In the 20th century, therapeutic discourse made it possible for the concept of »healthy« to enter the realm of the »intimate«, which was a first step towards medicalization. I conclude that in the 21st century, the process of biologization of relationships, together with the growing imperative of individual and/or couple well-being, promotes the medicalization of intimate partnerships, thereby successfully maintaining the status quo.
|
