title: Sexual spanking, the self, and the construction of deviance.
abstract: Using interview and observation data from a group of consensual, heterosexual adults interested in sexual spanking, I describe members' sexual stories and stigma neutralization techniques. Sexual stories are situated within broader cultural contexts that help individuals construct meaning and identities. I describe group members' stories about their initial interest in sexualized spankings. Focusing on a specific event at one party, I show how these stories help to create scene-specific stigma neutralization techniques. Participants strive to differentiate themselves from sadomasochistic activities and to create normative behavioral expectations within their scenes. I conclude that all of this can ultimately be viewed as part of the complex sexual adaptations that people make.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Ithaca College, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Plante
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012448:Sadism / Q000523:psychology*; D019455:Self Psychology