Sex For Sale in Thailand (Part 1). The one thing most every visitor to Thailand notices very quickly is its sex industry. Sex is for sale everywhere; massage parlours, go-go bars, karaoke establishments, brothels. In this two part podcast Stephen explores and explains the different aspects of Thai sex work and prostitution. In this first part he explains the difference between sex as work and sex as prostitution; he talks about the 'fish bowls' - those establishments in Thailand which operate as...
Jul 08, 2011•43 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Sex and the East; always a compelling and erotic combination. However, as Stephen explains in this explicit podcast, sex is both an industry and a cultural dimension out here in Thailand especially - it much more than simply row upon row of go-go bars in Pattaya; Kathoey, Gay Paradise, Sex Work Capital of the World. Listen to Stephen's explanation for how sexuality has come to both define Thailand in the eyes of the world, and at the same time offer us insights into the West's own very real sexu...
Jul 01, 2011•43 min•Season 1Ep. 17
The 'Asian Mystique' probably started around the time Marco Polo first traveled the Orient. Several hundred years later and it is still with us, though in today's hi-tec, globalised world of instant communications and mass tourism it just gets presented differently. As Stephen explains in this insightful podcast, the Asian Mystique is that imaginary place of the East which we in the West conjure up in our imaginations and then seek out during our two-week holiday in Bangkok, Hong Kong or Kuala L...
Jun 24, 2011•42 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Just what has Stephen been writing about all these years? Well, as he reveals in this podcast, everything from men and masculinities, to organisational behaviour and onto love, sex and relationships. Ten books in just over ten years and a host of journal articles, go to make up Stephen's impressive publication record. In this podcast he talks about writing, getting published, different types of authorship, ebooks, academic writing, and the marketing and publicity which can follow from a successf...
Jun 18, 2011•46 min•Season 1Ep. 15
'Queer', what thoughts does that word conjure up in your head? Well, as you'll hear in this lively and at times explicit podcast, quite different images for Chris and Stephen. But as Stephen goes on to explain, 'queer' is not always a derogatory term when used to describe gay and lesbian identities and sexuaities. Indeed, it is can be quite empowering and is today the term used to describe 'queer theory', one of the most advanced of all sociological theories in gender identity research. Sex, sex...
Jun 10, 2011•41 min•Season 1Ep. 14
So many of us nowadays living life as single people, yet so many of us also looking to be in a relationship. Is this a problem? Not if you understand that being single is very much a state of mind - and that singledom can be a very easy and relaxed place to be. By contrast, relationships are challenging and much more demanding on us. This podcast explores the final chapter of The Relationship Manifesto, in it Stephen explains that many people actually like being single, they just don't like not ...
Jun 03, 2011•41 min•Season 1Ep. 13
'True' Love, 'Pure' Relationships, 'Mr/Mrs Right', all these terms reinforce the myth of perfection. That is, we have found our true love therefore we have the 'perfect relationship'. Well, Stephen thinks not. In this podcast he points out that perfection is impossible, especially in men and women. And if we are not perfect ourselves, just where is that perfect relationship going to come from? Stephen explains that relationships work best when they are lived in the real world, not the mythical o...
May 28, 2011•41 min•Season 1Ep. 12
All relationships are built on words - communication. Without words, language, the fundamental building blocks of human society, we have nothing. And, as Stephen explains, communication is especially essential for lovers and those in sexual, intimate relationships of whatever type. No relationship can thrive on silence - or when one partner is doing all the talking and the other just listening (or has switched off altogether). So creating a strong communication between partners is necessary for ...
May 23, 2011•40 min•Season 1Ep. 11
What kills a relationship? Mostly it is lies. So always be honest. However, as Stephen reveals in this podcast, being honest may be desireble but its not easy to accomplish. What is more, we can be dishonest in different ways, not only through lies and deceit. We can conceal our true intentions and hopes, we can often perform a role which we think our lover appreciates but is actuallly, not representative of who we really are. This fascinating and insightful interview explores the complexities w...
May 15, 2011•42 min•Season 1Ep. 10
This 9th podcast examines one the of main drivers behind the changes we now see in modern relationships. That is, the emergence of a new type of woman: confident, individualistic, sexually expressive, ambitious, educated and independent. Stephen talks about this new form of femininity, its impact on relationships and provides some revealing data as to the extent that women are now usurping men in a number of social areas, not least education. However, as Stephen stresses, these changes really ra...
May 08, 2011•35 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Despite the highly sexualised culture that now envelopes us, sex remains the dirty secret. It continues to be one of the most powerful and important of all human activities, but also the one most likely to be surrounded by dysfunctionality, secrecy, lies, guilt, shame and mystery. In this very frank and candid podcast, Stephen unwraps the sex issue at the heart of modern relationships. He talks about sex work, gay marriages, monogamy, fidelity, sexual experimentation, open relationships, and the...
May 01, 2011•43 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Who is the 'One in Your Life? Well, surprisingly perhaps, this podcast reveals that it is not your partner or any other lover, it is you. Stephen explains that the most important aspect of a love relationship is, yes, love. But not love for the other but love for oneself. Only by loving ourselves, being comfortable in who we are and have become, so can we give love to another person. Ultimately, there is no one else. There is no other person out there who can replace you or who can give you love...
Apr 22, 2011•37 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this podcast, Stephen explains that there are, in fact, three identities in every relationship. There is you, your partner, and the relationship itself. As Stephen puts it "We have to appreciate that we and our partner, and all the other aspects of our being together, for example, home, work, family, combine to make up the third, arguably most important identity which is that of the relationship. And relationships change, just like we ourselves do." So we have to protect our own identity in a...
Apr 16, 2011•36 min•Season 1Ep. 6
"Love, the most overused and abused word in the English language...but also the most powerful". This quote from Stephen's fifth interview titled 'Love is not what you imagine', gives a flavour of the discussion. Love is highly complex, often impossible to fathom, but can also be an illusion. As Stephen goes on to reveal, too often we 'fall in love' without actually knowing the person we have fallen in love with. Then there is 'false love', which is more about us projecting our needs onto another...
Apr 09, 2011•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Not All Relationships Are About Love. How can that be? Surely all relationships are about love? Well, not exactly. As Stephen explains in this third interview, there are different types of relationships and distinguishing and understanding the main types is important to recognising not only the sort of relationship we are in, but also which type of relationship we might be looking for. Stephen reveals the five main relationships types: The Peripheral; The Draining; The Soulmate; The Functional; ...
Apr 02, 2011•38 min•Season 1Ep. 4
'Your Soulmates are Waiting'. Yes, they really are. And not just one soulmate. This third interview of the series explores Stephen's belief that we all have a soulmate in our lives - these are profound loves, much deeper and more important than usual love relationships. Maybe they are souls from a past life? Who knows? But certainly they are people who come into our life at a particular time, and for the better. As Stephen says, all the ideals of romantic love are based around one notion: that t...
Mar 25, 2011•36 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this second interview of the series, Chris talks to Stephen about Chapter 1 in the book; 'Why Relationships Fail'. As Stephen says, the reason most relationships fail is "because they go on too long". The couple have moved on, but not together. Such situations are common - the couple reach a crossroads in their life but go off in different directions, often without realising it at the time. The reality is that the vast majority of relationships last much less than 10 years, including marriage...
Mar 19, 2011•34 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this first Podcast of the series, Chris interviews Stephen about his own background, marriages, relationships and some of the ideas which emerge in The Relationship Manifesto. Full details at http://relationshipmanifesto.posterous.com/ Stephen makes the point that we are living in a very different era to the past; the world has changed, people have changed with it; unfortunately the myths of love have not. Today, a typical long-term relationship lasts about 10 years, maybe 20. But we are emba...
Mar 13, 2011•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1
