Seeking to transcend polarized porn debates, this research used grounded theory to explore experiences of porn consumption among self-identified feminists; a demographic occupying a unique position both within and outside feminist critiques of pornography.Consumption experiences were influenced by participants' beliefs about what constituted 'ethical enough' (conscionable). These were accompanied by contemplative moments, often shaped by the degree to which individuals felt they had strayed from their conceptions of conscionable practice. Respondents described an interactive relationship between such reflections, (re/)definitions of conscionability, and future intentions/attitudes. Thus, rather than representing an achieved or failed 'ethical consumer' status, porn consumption ethics were conceptualized as an ongoing process of 'conscionable' negotiation.This study enhances our understanding of how ethical issues are navigated by feminists who use pornography -an unexplored demographic within porn studies and consumer ethics research alike. It furthermore presents the first theoretical model of porn consumer ethics (conscionable consumption).

This article presents findings from an empirical study into the experiences of feminists who use pornography, with a focus on how feminists choose the material with which they engage. It discusses the ways in which participating feminists understood notions of authenticity in relation to porn, as well as the role played by perceptions of ‘authentic representation’ in their porn selection processes and ethical decision-making. The article problematizes the link made by interviewees between more authentic-seeming representations of sex, bodies and pleasure on one hand, and superior production standards and/or more enthusiastic performer consent on the other. It furthermore argues that uncritical demands for authenticity in porn risk undermining broader ‘sex positive’ or ‘anti-anti-porn’ feminist political goals, particularly around stigma reduction and the elimination of exploitative industry practices. In this way the article offers a meaningful contribution to academics, activists and others engaged in the discussion around porn consumption ethics and the ethics of porn consumption, as well as those working on ways to address exploitation within the pornography industries.

This paper presents findings from a grounded theory study of consumer ethics among feminists who use porn. It presents a range of exogenous and endogenous factors reported to be influential on ethical decision-making in this context and demonstrates how such factors may be perceived as impeding or facilitating the types of behaviour that consumers consider to be more in keeping with their moral and political beliefs. It furthermore highlights how such influences are often undergirded by seemingly deep-seated stigma around pornography, and often around sex and sexuality at large. The paper concludes that the direct and indirect effects of stigma may present additional obstacles for “fairtrade” and feminist-branded porn projects seeking to leverage consumer demand to support the development of more ethical industry practices. While it has been argued that stigma-reduction efforts can help reduce exploitative practices in the porn industry – by improving sex workers’ ability to demand rights, freedoms, safety, and better labour conditions and remuneration – the analysis from this study suggests that such efforts may also result in secondary benefits. These may be brought about by (a) removing obstacles to the types of consumer practice that could in turn support worker rights and livelihoods, and (b) disrupting rationalisations used to justify consumer choices that threaten to undermine these ends.

For decades within feminism, polarised debates have served to divide anti-porn feminists from their pro-porn or "anti-anti-porn" counterparts (Paasonen, 2011) to such an extent that the movement has become fragmented and "meaningful dialogue has long since broken down" (Boyle, 2006: 4). This article presents feminist research that sought to explore pornography consumption in ways that would help move past this discursive deadlock towards more nuanced and productive avenues.In particular, this paper demonstrates how grounded theory approaches conventionally employed for the purpose of achieving ideological goals around objectivity and neutrality, may be repurposed in pursuit of empirical goals around avoiding agenda-driven outcomes and generating new conceptual discussions -within feminism, as well as other fields similarly fragmented by steadfast political, social or moral polarity. In turn, it demonstrates the methodological and epistemological negotiations inherent to such a process.

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