The exercise of female sexuality between fantasy and discourse in the consumption of online pornography

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to understand how the consumption of online pornography runs through fantasy, discourse and the exercise of female sexuality.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the study analyzed a few information obtained from a secret group of the social media Facebook. Secondly, the research was developed based on the information gathered during the observation period; 11 in-depth interviews were conducted with women that participated in the aforementioned group. In order to analyze the data, the study used the French discourse analysis as methodological tool.FindingsIt was possible to realize that the consumption of pornographic content is motivated by curiosity, pursuit of variety and sexual fantasies, and it ends up strengthening stereotypes related to the concept of beauty and body standards. Also, the consumption of pornography can be seen as an important feature in the reformulation of perceptions and creation of senses related to pornography itself, pleasure, self-knowledge and in the constitution of the subjectivities of the consumers, despite the influence of the cultural context in which they are inserted into.Research limitations/implicationsThe consumption of online pornography can be seen as an important “social operator”; that is, the consumption of pornography reflects and refracts what is socially established as beautiful and adequate in terms of the human figure. The outcomes of this research lead to debates that can challenge standardized world perspectives, besides expanding the discussion of such consumption made by women.Originality/valueTaking into consideration the significant volume of pornography consumption and the high figures that this market indicates, one can notice that literature related to consumption studies has neglected this specific theme.

Pornography—Is It Good for Sexual Health? A Systematic Review

“…Characteristics of the Included Studies 3 of the studies were conducted in the United States; the others were conducted in Malaysia, Ethiopia, Hungary, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Brazil, and one study was conducted in both the United States and Hungary. All the researchers analyzed the influence of pornography on sexual health, but 2 of them (Ali et al 23 and Mesquita et al 19 ) explored the fantasy and discourse around online pornography usage.…”

“…Men believe that they must have the same sexual organs as those presented in porno videos and movies to prove their masculinity and satisfy their partners. 19…”