The sagacity of the surround: The casual sex-assemblages of young adults

Abstract

The current study applies the concept of the assemblage, an aggregation of discursive and nondiscursive bodies, objects, and ideas, to young adults and casual sex. By de-centering human subjectivity, we are able to focus on some of the ways in which dating apps and sexual desires, in addition to human and nonhuman bodies, can be propelled and/or impeded in anticipation of sexual encounters. To answer our research questions, we rely on online survey data from young adults living in the United States ( N = 99). Making use of the theoretical contributions of Deleuze and Guattari, our findings highlight the ways dating apps and social media contribute to organizing, arranging and rearranging the casual sex assemblage.