BDSM: A Subcultural Analysis of Sacrifices and Delights

Characteristics of Successful Personal Ads in a BDSM On-Line Community

“…all encompassing lifestyle that represents liberation from the oppressive plight of everyman and nurtures identities of marginality'' (Newmahr 2011:9). Stiles and Clark (2011) also found that this lifestyle was considered a secret subculture among participants, and that those involved embrace and value this distinctiveness.…”

“…Screen names are largely used to serve as the initial element that attracts potential participants to one another, emphasizing the importance of how the screen name must represent the qualities and characteristics that one wants to convey about themselves in order to attract desired partners (Palandri and Green 2000). Stiles and Clark (2011) found that many individuals take pleasure in the strategies that go into constructing and managing their identities over time, especially as such may be related to both attempts to attract others and enact a fantasy presentation of self.…”

A Constellation of Stigmas: Intersectional Stigma Management and the Professional Dominatrix

“…However, on the other hand, she may also confront SM stigma. Stiles and Clark (2011) explain that SM is still a highly stigmatized and little understood form of sexuality. While they did not interview people who engage in SM for money, Bezreh et al (2012) and Stiles and Clark (2011) find that SM practitioners conceal their sexual proclivities out of a fear that they will be interpreted as mentally ill, violent, unethical, or immoral.…”

“…In order to manage stigma, those with deviant identities use stigma management techniques, including "information management" through various levels of concealment (Miller 2012;Stiles and Clark 2011), selective disclosure (Koken 2012;Winnick and Bodkin 2008), and covering (Nack 2008;Roschelle and Kaufman 2004). Techniques involving hiding one's deviant identity or "passing" are only possible for those whose stigma is not immediately apparent to others, who have "discreditable" as opposed to "discredited" identities (Goffman 1963).…”

“…Furthermore, in contrast to other female sex workers who are paid to perform normative heterosexual sexuality with male clients, described by Bernstein (2007) as the "girlfriend experience," the dominatrix is paid by clients to perform a wide range of acts considered non-normative, such as tying them up and whipping them (Lindemann 2012). Thus, they also react to stigma directed toward practitioners of SM (Bezreh, Weinberg, and Edgar 2012;Reiersl and Skeid 2006;Stiles and Clark 2011;Wright 2006).…”