deromanticization

Deromanticization refers to the analytical or cultural practice of removing or challenging romanticized, idealized, or naive portrayals of people, relationships, events, or cultures. The term signals a shift from embracing narratives of love, heroism, or cultural purity to revealing complexity, ambivalence, and the structural constraints that shape behavior and perception. Deromanticization can operate on multiple levels, including individual relationships, media and literature, and broad cultural or historical narratives.

The word combines de- with romanticization and is used primarily in cultural studies, literary criticism, and gender or postcolonial studies. It is not a single fixed theory but a family of approaches that seek to expose power dynamics, consent issues, economic factors, or historical contexts that ordinary romance narratives gloss over.

Common applications include critiquing romantic comedies for masking inequality or coercive dynamics; examining colonial or nationalist narratives that romanticize contact while downplaying violence or exploitation; and challenging idealized gender roles embedded in romance plots. Methods include close textual analysis, historical contextualization, and materialist or feminist critique.

Critics of deromanticization argue that excessive skepticism can erase genuine emotion or moral meaning, while proponents contend that it helps prevent harm by centering consent, agency, and structural factors. Related concepts include demystification, deconstruction, and anti-romanticism.