Material Information
- Title:
- SEX, POWER, AND MODALITIES OF CARE: THE GENESIS OF BDSM ETHICS
- Physical Description:
- Book
- Language:
- English
- Creator:
- Thornton, Samuel
- Publisher:
- New College of Florida
- Place of Publication:
- Sarasota, Fla.
- Publication Date:
- 2014
Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree:
- Bachelor's ( B.A.)
- Degree Grantor:
- New College of Florida
- Degree Divisions:
- Humanities
- Area of Concentration:
- Philosophy
Subjects
- Genre:
- bibliography ( marcgt )
theses ( marcgt )
government publication (state, provincial, territorial, dependent) ( marcgt )
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Notes
- Abstract:
- This thesis draws on a rich tradition of philosophical debate about
“sadomasochism” to critically explore how subcultures identifying variously with
labels such as “S&M,” “SM,” and “BDSM” understand themselves and form “ethoi” around
their practices. Approaching sexuality with an analysis inspired by Foucault, I look at
the institutional genesis of the theory of sadomasochism and historical transformations
of that theory. My goal is to develop a picture of BDSM that charts its development
through shifts in discourse from highly medicalized, pathologizing understandings to
ones that discriminate between sexualities on the basis of their ethical structures. I
begin by sketching the understanding of “sadomasochism” as indicating sexualities that
explicitly involve power exchange, and proceed to Deleuze’s deconstruction of the psychoanalytic term -- and its philosophical ratification by Sartre -- into its
constitutional literary moments (Sade and Masoch). This shift catalyzes a move from
pathology to ethics and even, I claim, gestures towards a BDSM inspired ethics of care.
In the next chapter, I discuss feminist approaches to psychoanalysis that help develop
a sexual ethics involving intersubjectivity and providing insights into the requirements
of caretaking. Finally, I review some relevant sociological research, ethnographic
literature, and texts published by self-identified members of BDSM subcultures. I
argue that the attitudes found in those works support the idea that BDSM has become
increasingly socially acceptable as institutional discourses about this sexuality have
shifted from psychiatric pathologization to a self-aware ethics focusing on questions of
consent and the line that distinguishes BDSM from abuse. However, I conclude that
further work could be done in this evolution as BDSM comes to understand itself as
exposing intense sites of subjectivization that can draw attention to the practices of
care of self and other involved in its exercise.
- Statement of Responsibility:
- by Samuel Thornton
- Thesis:
- Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2014
- General Note:
- RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references.
- General Note:
- This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.
- General Note:
- Faculty Sponsor: Flakne, April
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- New College of Florida
- Holding Location:
- New College of Florida
- Rights Management:
- Applicable rights reserved.
- Classification:
- S.T. 2014 T5
- System ID:
- AA00024820:00001
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