Sub Categories Of Sexual Deviance

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What are fetishes, and what causes them? This is a fundamental question that to this day has no definite answer. Sexual deviance is a topic that has long roused public interest and drawn attention. Sexual deviance has numerous subcategories, ranging from extremities such as incest and pedophilia, to sexual expression such as cross-dressing and fetishism. Fetishism, a sub category of sexual deviance, is one that is expressed by a large proportion of the population, but is rarely understood. Psychologists have conceived numerous theories regarding the subject but it remains extremely difficult to pinpoint one specific origin and cause for them. There are hundreds of influential cultural, societal and above all, individual differences that …show more content…

Though similar to, and often confused with kinks (unconventional sexual behaviours), fetishistic items or behaviours have to be present for successful sexual performance (LeVay, Baldwin, & Baldwin, 2015). Kinks, on the other hand, are not always necessary for sexual performance but only elevate the experience (LeVay et al., 2015). When a fixation on something, or kink, becomes a central and reoccurring matter in an individual’s sexual life, it becomes known as fetish. There are many different varieties of fetishisms, and many of them are social acceptable, with approximately 11% of the population possessing sexual fetishes to some degree (Wincze, 2000). Individuals with fetishes most commonly find certain items of clothing, smells or particular body parts more arousing and enhancing for sexual attractiveness, and need to have the fetishism item or thing around or happening in order to be able to perform successfully during …show more content…

Realistically, anything can become fetish, which is what accounts for the often-bizarre stories reported about sexual deviance involving fetishism. All fetishes are categorized into three main categories: partialism, material fetishism, and object fetishism (LeVay et al., 2015). The most common of fetishes are categorized in partialism, involving fetishes that are associated with the human body. These types of fetishes are called inanimate fetishes and involve parts of the human body where individuals have a fetishistic focus on one specific part of the body in order to achieve sexual gratification. Most commonly, this is centered on things such as feet, armpits and calves (LeVay et al., 2015). Media fetishism, also known as material fetishism, is a fetishistic desire that is directed towards inanimate, material items. The most common fetishes in this category are materials such as leather, rubber, silk and fur (LeVay et al., 2015). These materials are usually worn as items of clothing by the individual during their sexual encounters, or worn and used by their partners. Finally, object fetishism, also known as objectophilia or objectum sexuality, is a fetish involving inanimate objects that are not associated with the body. There are two degrees of severity in objectophilia; individuals with this fetish either need the object around to be sexually aroused, or they believe themselves to

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