Sexual Deviance: The Pleasure of Pain

In recent years S&M, or sadomasochism, sexual relationships have become more socially accepted due to the popularity of best-selling novels like Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Yet, even the main character in this novel, Christian Grey, kept his preference for rough sex a secret from the world. Even his love interest, Anastasia Steele, finds it difficult to come to terms with his sexual preferences, and the relationship almost ends before it begins. Why is this? According to Erich Goode and D. Angus Vail (2008), society has a largely inaccurate understanding of the world of S&M, an understanding in which, among other stereotypes, S&M participants are depicted as mentally ill, who derive sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on their not-so-willing partner (Goode and Vail 2008). In an effort to better understand the participants in S&M sexual relationships this paper will examine how a one comes to accept the identity of a sexual deviant, as well as the stigma’s that come with accepting that identity. Finally, this paper will examine how participants manage the stigma’s associated with being a sexual deviant.
An S&M glossary defines Sadomasochism as “an activity involving the temporary creating of highly unbalanced power dynamics between two or more people for erotic or semi-erotic purposes” (Apostolides 2008: 212). Goode and Vail (2008) argue that S&M is the mutually consensual practice of erotic scenes, designed and outlined by both parties, during which the illusion of pain symbolizes dominance and control. Sadomasochism typically includes partners, a “top” and a “bottom,” or a dominant and a submissive. The responses the submissive partner gives during the scene, guide the dominant partner and the main ingredients in a well...

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