Between Pleasure, Pain and Power: Theorizing Masculinities through BDSM

Abstract

Men and Masculinity Studies have been laying the ground for the study of masculinities for a while now, however, now-normative approaches tend to tie into modernism, structuralism, and hegemony. The findings of this thesis are that these approaches have not been able to adequately represent men’s contemporary experiences of masculinities. In response I use post – structuralist feminist and masculinity theories to more accurately explore the ways in which men negotiate gender relations and sexualities. The objective of the thesis is to understand men’s identities and practices and, in the process, challenges conventional approaches to understanding men’s gender relations and sexual practices in the BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Submission/ Masochism) scene. The methods used to conduct this study include participant observation fieldwork and online data collection through the use of forums and ready available texts/comments posted by users. The fieldwork serves as a productive element through which we can make sense of the ways men negotiate gender and sexual relations. Both offline and online scenes of BDSM were studied. The fieldwork confirms that BDSM has the ability to weaken gender identities, creating fluidness and shaping ‘performativity’. Masculinities are challenged by BDSM participants. BDSM proves valuable for noticing antagonisms men can face in relation to performativity of masculinities. The data shows that male and male presenting BDSM practitioners sometimes break down rigid codes of masculinities and are challenging the strict structures which men are expected to fit in and thereby reproduce. The findings can prove a valuable addition to the field of men and masculinities, as it demonstrates how modernist and structural theorisations of masculinities prove insufficient for understanding BDSM masculinities. Yet, the findings also highlight certain issues that need more exploring, namely some instances of transphobia, gatekeeping, classism, racism and upholding of misogyny. These opposing findings are more than welcome as they show that BDSM and related masculinities are shown to be more layered, mobile and complex than previous approaches allow representation of. As such, the thesis is also a valuable anthropological study into one of the more popular contemporary sexual cultures.