Dis/located Identities: Swinging and Contemporary Sexual Space
A committed relationship without monogamy sounds like a contradiction in terms to those raised in America, or most any country at this point in history. The nature of commitment suggests that it requires a single partner and the promise to remain faithful to that person. Swingers choose a slightly different route and yet it is one that can involve more trust and openness than monogamous relationships offer. Swingers [1] are couples who choose to have not only a committed relationship but to also explore, as couple, recreational sex with other individuals and couples. At the heart of a strong swinging relationship is not sex at all; rather, there is the openness, trust, and communication necessary to both talk openly about desires and fantasies and to act on them within the bounds of commitment. “To swingers, physical acts of sexual pleasure with someone you respect, just for pleasure, and making love to one’s lifetime partner are two distinctly different things” (Thomas 20).
This form of sexuality is clearly outside the norm of heterosexual behavior, especially that of married or committed adults. But is it a legitimate sexual identity? Does the swinging community deserve recognition in the same terms as other minority sexual identities?
Like any other form of sexual expression, swinging takes on a handful of common variants. Soft swinging is a newer form and refers “a desire for sexual activities such as watching, being watched, mutual masturbation, and possibly oral sex but without changing partners for full sexual intercourse” (Thomas 20). Closed swinging is a more commonly recognized form of swinging where couples swing in different rooms – this is where the slightly derogatory term ‘wife swapping’ probably originated. Open swinging is where two couples will swing in the same room. Couples who prefer open swinging tend to enjoy watching their partner with another person, participating somehow while their partner is having sex with another person, or the women are bisexual and wish to enjoy each other while the men watch. Group swinging is basically equivalent to an orgy, although group swinging as a term is preferred. “A lot of swingers who enjoy this type of swinging find that it satisfies their tastes for exhibitionism and voyeurism at the same time. Some people have fantasies of finding out how many lovers they can satisfy in one evening…” (Thomas 20).
...jective as a theoretical matter. Furthermore, there are current issues with the classification of sexual orientation, as it presently exists, mostly with efforts to essentialize the class. These issues could be enhanced, at least to some degree, by introducing the classification to other kinds of sexual preferences, thus extending the attention and possibly reducing the theoretical load that attraction to one sex or the other or both is projected to bring. The significant bias that polyamorists face along with other nonmonogamists are both loaded by an establishing value of discrimination which encourage the move to enlarge the description of polyamory being as part of sexual orientation. “It is the hope that everyone will take this opportunity to question monogamy ‘as a preference’ or ‘choice’… and to do the intellectual and emotional work that follows.” (Emens 82)
In every walk of life, people seek refuge from the judgmental perception of their contemporaries. Thus, many people live in secrecy. For them, secrecy is an absolute necessity in dodging undesired scrutiny and maintaining normalcy in public. When it comes to gender and the expression of it, lines are often blurred. While some hide, others brazenly parade their sexuality in public and their alternative perspectives on gender roles. In “The Bowery as Haven and Spectacle” from Gay New York, by George Chauncey, explores the emergence of the Bowery “fairy” bars, and how they became a sanctuary for the queer and working-class of New York City. He discusses in great length the tension that arises between the middle-class and working-class, the bars as a spectacle and a place to be entertained, the solicitation of sex work, and the makings of gay culture in the bar scene. The lines of gender were blurred when men took up cross dressing and the mannerisms normally associated with women. On the other hand, Merril Mushroom, writer of "How to Engage in Courting Rituals 1950's Butch-Style in the Bar", complies a laundry list of rules for butch lesbians on methods of attracting other women. Here, females cross gender boundaries and take on masculine personas. With this said, both pieces show the development of alternative gender identities. However, this switch in gender roles seldom occur outside the bar scene. Despite the semi-public gender blurring, those who identify with this lifestyle still feel the need to express themselves in an environment most accommodating to their blatant disregard of gender norms. The aforementioned pieces answer questions in regards to why one must live in secrecy, and how this secrecy gives way to the developme...
New venues for leisure where men and women could meet and engage in unrestricted social interaction, brought a shift in the average American’s experience of courting and sexuali...
...s mocked for going against the book even though doing so earned him many victories (10 greatest 45+). Doc Edwards was the manager of Cleveland and he gave someone who was on a 39 game hitting streak a chance to beat them instead of intentionally walking him and it payed off they won, but he was criticized and later fired for this act. He later said “I don't care if it was Jesus Christ walking up to the plate, I still would have let him hit”. Coaches can be the best of all time but sometimes it pays off to follow the set rules and expectations.
The sport of baseball in the United States exists in a dynamic social world. Although the sport of baseball has evolved as an international game and other popular sports have emerged, baseball remains America’s national pastime. The sport of baseball has a long history and has experienced numerous cultural changes.
When learning about the erotic plasticity I for one agree with the term. Society loves to put labels on a lot of things. Whether it is deviant or not, they will define the act as either a negative or positive social stigma. When an act is considered negative, it will now be viewed as deviant. In the life course men and women will go through certain developments. As they get older the individual will be attracted to another person. The issues is it may be of the same sex, and through society’s standard it is wrong. Sexual identity is different for genders, and there are more restriction applied to certain sexes. My theoretical response for erotic plasticity will be Symbolic Interaction. I will go into detail on how the self is related to erotic plasticity.
Unlike sex, the history of sexuality is dependant upon society and limited by its language in order to be defined and understood.
Simone de Beauvoir stands as a prominent French intellectual and feminist. Her fight to expose her “second sex” theory and uncover the dejected vice of marriage illuminates in her piece, The Married Woman. Beauvoir dedicated her studies to the imbalance in gender roles clearly depicting women as a victim of marriage. Today’s society has shifted to become more accepting of Gay marriage with 55% of Americans favoring the union between same sex couples (Wall Street Journal, Legal Patchwork). Are gay couples subject to the same disconsolate marriages Beauvoir illustrates for heterosexual couples? This essay will identify if Beauvoir’s theories relate to gay marriage and if “the second sex” exists within a same sex marriage.
According to anthropologist, Victor Turner, societies offer individuals only mainstream options for behavior, identity, and beliefs. People choose to adopt societal customs, in order to fit in for the benefit that the society provides. (Davidson, 2006.) As men grow up, they are encouraged to adopt gender and conform identities that is consistent with their physical sex, but they may encounter unexpected problems as they take the stereotypical masculinity, entering adulthood. Men are encouraged to internalize those identities due to societal pressure (Beggan and Allison, 2001). Physical identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender ideology are all components of sexual identity. The development of sexual identity
Whereas the women considered themselves bi-curious. One of the beliefs of the swinger culture is female bisexuality is accepted over male bisexuality. Although swingers are considered to have a more liberal attitude towards sexuality, politically they fall into a moderate to conservative group. Swingers have above averages incomes and educations (Jenks, 1998). According to a 2010 study there are an estimated 2 to 15 million people who engage in the swinger’s lifestyle worldwide. However, it is hard to obtain accurate data being it is such a secretive culture. Many swingers keep this part of their life private from family, friends, and co-workers. Remarkably, couples viewed swinging as a marriage-friendly alternate to cheating, a way to explore sexually and remain, contradictory, faithful. Wives, specifically, do not feel like swinging is cheating when their husbands are present. This has led to an increased uptake of women swinging in an attempt to fulfill their sexual desires they long for in their monogamous relationship. In addition to the excitement of being sought after and admired by
It is kind of like a rite of passage and something that adults do and it's very fetishized in America and that is our thing. It is really something specific about us in a way that it really isn't in a lot of other places. I think there is also a large aspect of competition, especially with lesbians and everyone it trying to out mask each other. It's like, you can't hold your liquor like us and oh, you want to bet. That factors in a lot.
The practice of casual sex is more popular among American teenagers; however, the feelings of independence and empowerment obtained by it are not the only consequences. Having multiple random partners can result in sexually transmitted diseases (STD), HIV, unwanted pregnancies and other physical risks. Moreover, depression and intimacy problems can bear psychological problems and harm a practitioner more than believed.
Gender is a socially constructed phenomenon, and how acceptable one’s relationship is determined by society’s view of gender roles. Because the majority of the population is characterized as heterosexual, those who deviate from that path are ...
Throughout Western civilization, culturally hegemonic views on gender and sexuality have upheld a rigid and monolithic societal structure, resulting in the marginalization and dehumanization of millions of individuals who differ from the expected norm. Whether they are ridiculed as freaks, persecuted as blasphemers, or discriminated as sub-human, these individuals have been historically treated as invisible and pushed into vulnerable positions, resulting in cycles of poverty and oppression that remain prevalent even in modern times. Today, while many of these individuals are not publicly displayed as freaks or persecuted under Western law, women, queer, and intersexed persons within our society still nonetheless find themselves under constant