PORNOGRAPHY DEFINED
There are probably as many definitions of pornography as there are people who have written about it. The term "pornography" is very equivocal because it carries the burden both of describing the material and evaluating it at the same time.
The word "pornography" comes from a Greek word- pornographos -which translated literally would be "writing of harlots12," and though erotic talking, drawing, and writing have been around almost as long as prostitution, the specific term "pornography" is of rather recent origin.
The first definition of pornography appeared in a medical dictionary in 1857 to describe public health studies of prostitutes13. Today, pornography is frequently used interchangeably in everyday discourse with the word "obscenity," which is derived from a Latin root word--obscenus-meaning abhorrent to morality, disgusting to the senses or designed to incite lust or depravity14. .
The
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Pornography may be viewed from Weston LaBarre's cultural relativist approach: "[N]othing is obscene that has not been previously defined culturally as such18." The Kronhausens attempted a more psychological approach: Pornography is writing that is unrealistic and infantile. They admit, however, it is difficult to distinguish unrealistic and surrealistic writing and sexual fantasy19.
Some feminists have attempted to distinguish between "erotica," which depicts, joyful, equal status sexual encounters between lovers, and "thanatica" or "pornography," which depicts loveless, often violent sexual acts between unequal participants20. Other feminists have defined pornography as explicit representations of sexual behavior that degrade, demean, and subordinate women21. This is just a sample of the many definitions of pornography that could be used. However, not one of these definitions is of much help for purposes of this
A pornographic world [What is normal] by Robert Jensen takes an inside look at the culture of masculinity and what role pornography takes in shaping that culture. Jensen describes how he was forced to play a “macho” role as a child out of fear of being bullied and ridiculed for not being manly enough. Pornography use started for him and his friends in grade school – they would steal magazines and hide them to share in a group later. He talks of how he learned of a social concept, called the “ideal of prostitution” (the notion of men “buying” women in various forms of undress, solely for their pleasure), at a young age. While there has always been a stigma around pornography, whether stemming from moral or religious reasons, Jenson continued to use porn until his 30s.
What, then, is pornography? Is it the art of sex, a struggle against morality, the world's leading epidemic of sexual violence, or the ongoing struggle for First Amendment rights? Pornography, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, is "sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal". This definition, however, lacks the clarity of realistically differentiating between pornography and erotica, and leaves room for interpreting the true meaning of "explicit." The issue at debate, however, is neither the naming nor identifying po...
The word Pornography is defined as "writings, photographs, movies, etc., intended to arouse sexual excitement". With each year that passes pornography has been more and more accepted, it can be seen in books, magazines, cable television and most of all through the internet. Many religions go against it, but at the same time people know that there is a reason why people go into the business and accepted it an other people just like it. In this paper I will talk about pornography and how it is viewed by the four ethical standards (Utilitarian, Kant, Human Rights and Justice is Fairness).
A review of the contemporary research on the negative effects of pornography is replete of scholarly and anecdotal evidence and opinion about the damages associated with viewing it. But the evidence is limited when it comes to criticism of mainstream media’s damages to certain groups, particularly young women with their romantic comedies.
Slade, Joseph W. Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.
... pornography is just expressing ones self; to others, itþs considered an art form. But studies have shown that this þart formþ is the chief cause of many murders and rapes that occur in the United States. And it doesnþt start with þhard-coreþ. The early stages of erotica are actually the start.
Maybe a good place to start with this question is to define the terms “pornography” and “obscenity”. According to the text Communications Law: Liberties, Restraints, and the Modern Media, “pornography is a broad term used to describe all material that is sexually explicit and intended for the purpose of sexual arousal”. (Zelezny, p. 448). The term “obscenity”, according to the same text, “has taken on a narrower legal meaning, indicating a class of sexual material so offensive that it is deemed by the Supreme Court to have virtually no First Amendment protection” (Zelezny, p. 448).
To sufficiently take a side in the ever-growing debate of pornography, one must first define the concept around which this discourse surrounds itself. A working definition for pornography is a piece of material that has the object purpose of arousing erotic feelings. Radical feminists, however, strictly define it as “the act of sexual subordination of women” (Dworkin 1986).
Again, there are different ideas of what is considered pornographic from artwork, movies, and books. While one may look at a painting that depicts nude forms or read a book that includes sexual acts may not see this as a form of pornography while others would find it morally offensive. Feminist would argue that the morality of porn is it is degrading and humiliating to those involved, not of its sexual nature. Their concern is that it promotes sexism and violence against women or children. “What is objectionable about pornography…is its abusive and degrading portrayal of females and female sexuality, not its content or explicitness” (Rodgerson & Wilson, 1994) However, others may feel that it is sexually liberating and in no way degrading to those involved. Those women feel in control of their sexuality and choose to participate in acts as a way of expressing themselves while feeling it has no barring on their moral character. While others would argue that it promotes immoral behavior which would lead to criminal acts or an unhealthy obsession with sex. “The most commonly feared adverse effects of pornography include undesirable sexual behaviors (e.g. adultery), sexual aggression, and loss of respect for traditional family structures and values, loss of respect for authorities, and a general nonspecific moral decay.” (Hald & Linz,
Laura Kipnis has described pornography as “an archive of data about...our history as a culture”. Therefore if, she described it as such, what can it tell us about the sexual history of the 20th century? Examining the history of the forms of archive from pornographic playing cards to blu-ray discs and the internet, this shows the ever changing form of how as a society we view pornography. From the forms of archive come the social implications of pornography. This will be examined through the 1986 Meese Commission in the United States of America into the pornographic industry. Finally, this exposition will also examine the differing views of Gay and Straight pornography and the changes that have taken over the 20th century. Overall, the 20th century was a fundamental shift in sexual attitudes towards pornography.
Porn according to the dictionary is defined as a printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity intended to stimulate erotic rather than an emotional feeling. A word described as so is what has lead porn to becoming a money making business, that has come to grow over the years quite a bit. An empire that many were afraid to even talk about ,but now want to be apart of. Now porn or as they would call it now as the Adult Film business is seen every where, from DVD’s to magazines and late night television shows to the internet. It can be accessed from anywhere at anytime. Adult film wasn’t something that was new to society, but yet society is acting new towards it. Many are saying that this is something that has affected their lives, or that it should not be around at all.
Many feminist theories believe that pornography is part of male culture and the patriarchy in which women are exploited and abused. In fact, one of radical feminism philosophy’s primary concerns is pornography as they believe porn degrades women and that women involved in the industry are physically damaged by patriarchy, as pornography as often directed by male pornographers (McElroy 2016). Renowned radical feminist Andrea Dworkin explored issues like misogyny and pornography. Dworkin spoke out for several causes, primarily in ending violence against women. Her famous work Pornography: men possessing women (1981) argues that porn teaches men to rape and violently abuse women. However, studies show that watching pornography its self does not cause any considerable social harm. Despite this, it is true that the adult industry itself can be torturous and
Pornography: printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings. Under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, pornography consisting of aged 18 or older consenting adults, is legal. Anyone with the access to a computer is four letters away from the ability to view pornography. Simply typing “porn” into a Google search bar will yield thousands of videos of illicit content, most of which will be free to view. The quality of these videos vary site by site, some are home videos of couple posting their exploits online to see, and some videos are full scale productions with plots and famous porn-stars who are
Erotic Art is the main reason why Eric Gill, a creator of Gill Sans font, becoming a well-known figure of humanity art history, but Erotic entertainment hasn't generally existed, it is not a regular thought. It is a creation of Victorian Science and the majority of the society does not have the idea of Pornography. Besides, Pornography is a legacy of Victorian Civilization. We like to feel that explicit entertainment is regular. It is not common, it is a cutting edge society innovation (Pornography : The Secret of Civilization 2006).
Pornography is ripping apart our society. Although Christians are sometimes discus tied with the impact and apathetic about the need to control this menace. Pornography is a year business with close ties to organized crime. Pornography involves books, magazines, videos, and devices and has moved from the society into the mainstream through the renting of video cassettes, sales Of so-called "soft-porn" magazines, and the airing of sexually explicit movies on Cable television.