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
The binding of feet is extremely dangerous. Women today still harm themselves in a different kind of “binding”. What was once a fetish called footbinding, the forcible deformation of feet into the shape of a lotus, was the necessity of a lifestyle dangerous to oneself; although
A pornographic world [What is normal] by Robert Jensen takes an inside look at the culture of masculinity and what role pornography takes in shaping that culture. Jensen describes how he was forced to play a “macho” role as a child out of fear of being bullied and ridiculed for not being manly enough. Pornography use started for him and his friends in grade school – they would steal magazines and hide them to share in a group later. He talks of how he learned of a social concept, called the “ideal of prostitution” (the notion of men “buying” women in various forms of undress, solely for their pleasure), at a young age. While there has always been a stigma around pornography, whether stemming from moral or religious reasons, Jenson continued to use porn until his 30s.
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Schacter, D. L., Gilbert, D. T., & Wegner, D. M. (2010). Psychology. (2nd ed., p. 600). New York: Worth Pub.
For example, In the case of Jacob, an ordinary guy who faces many obstacles including the focus of his desire for women 's feet. It seems impossible to define normal sexual behaviors because sexual behaviors that are considered normative vary within the cultural context of the culture and other factors. For instance, in Jacob 's case, there seems to be a deviation involving the object of his sexual attraction. Jacob 's intense sexual desire to touch, to gaze upon, and to suck women 's feet displays an inconsistency to what contemplates as normal sexual desire and behavior among man in his cultural context. For instance, when comparing Jacob 's sexual desire of women 's feet to what was considered normal among men, which were breast, legs, buttocks, and genitals. It seems that there is a distinct deviation in Jacob 's desires from the norm. To further expand, wanting to press his cock against women 's feet demonstrates the intensity of having a fetishistic disorder. Jacob 's erotic distortions made him feel hideous and mortified by his longing. Jacob meets the full criteria for a fetishistic disorder. His sexual arousal is focused on nongenital body parts, which is manifested by fantasies, urges, and behaviors. Jacob 's fetish is causing him significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning. For instance, Jacob no longer engages in sexual intercourse with his wife, and thus, his marriage has been
The subtopic being examined in this segment of pornography as a whole, is that of violent pornography. In order to understand what is going to be discussed and the examples that will be cited, one must understand the context of violent pornography in relation to Pornography as a whole. But as this section will conclude, it is actually the widespread viewing of pornography as represented through the media, which leads to violent actions.
Today, pornography has different targeted audiences based on various categories of pornography. There are pornographies made that are targeted toward women in which are slow and focused more on the people’s language rather than solely genitally focused. Most pornographies, however, are made specifically for men. These videos contain a large focus on the genitals, the men are portrayed as dominant, and the women please the men taking any measures necessary. According to a study, pornography that was intended for men and women aroused the men who were being studied. Women on the other hand, activated negative affects after watching the pornography intended for men and positive after watching the pornography intended for women (Mosher, 1994). In general, men are the main target of pornographies and women as well as feminists believe that pornography should not characterize women as objects. Also when making this study, it was difficult to find pornography that was made by women, majority of the videos are made by men and produced for
Pornography is material that is sexual in content for the intent of arousal and stimulation. Such material includes; movies, magazines, photographs and books. In most instances, the desire for pornography is pleasure. Pornography is a stimulus that creates arousal for the purpose of stimulation and as such, sensation from climax that results in pleasure. As an individual views such material, he may view repeated sexual themes, perhaps the same genre of pornography or the same actors. Explicit pornography is considered; bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism (BDSM), dominance and submission (Bonomi, 2013), strangling asphyxiation, humiliation, violence and rape. Desensitization is a “neurological process that results in a reduced or loss of physiological response following prolonged or repetitive stimulation (Wang & Xiulan. 2005).” This occurrence takes place due to a decrease in a neurotransmitter, resulting in a decreased response to a stimulus (Nairr...
Gall, S. B., Beins, B., & Feldman, A. (2001). The gale encyclopedia of psychology. (2nd ed.). Detroit, MI: Gale Group.
BDSM, a three part acronym which stands for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism (Oxford Dictionary, 2014) has seen a drastic increase in popular culture in the last twenty years (Weiss, p: 104). Since it being brought into the public eye with the Marquis de Sade and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, BDSM has predominantly been portrayed as a sexual deviance that only those who are sexually violent or those who are mentally unsound participate in. Images of BDSM have existed in popular culture for quite some time. Wearing cuffs, collars and leather are often found in both fashion and mainstream media so much so that many who purchase and wear them may not be aware of their significance to BDSM.
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Gall, S. B., Beins, B., & Feldman, A. (2001). The gale encyclopedia of psychology. (2nd ed., pp. 271-273). Detroit, MI: Gale Group.
Sexual masochism is a condition in which a person is sexually aroused by being beaten or made to suffer
... middle of paper ... ... Journal of Applied Psychology 92 (2007): 1332–356. Print. The.
Edited by Raymond J. Corsini. Encyclopedia of Psychology, Second Edition, Volume 3. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.