INSEP - Journal of the International Network for Sexual Ethics & Politics, 2016
A centrally important feminist debate, known as the sex wars, took place in the United States and... more A centrally important feminist debate, known as the sex wars, took place in the United States and United Kingdom and centred around sexuality issues. A similar debate occurred in Italy. Among the topics debated was sadomasochism (SM): does consensual SM perpetuates male dominance in societies or serve as an instrument of empowerment? Despite the either/or positions within the debate, data from the fieldwork and the interviews I conducted suggest that an in-between position is more appropriate to describe the Italian SM scene for two reasons. Firstly, the notion of consent and the challenge or reproduction of the status quo in SM are concerns positioned along a continuum of experiences. Secondly, the epistemological overcoming of both deterministic approaches, in which society limits the social actor, or the liberal discourse, in which the social actor is free from social constraints, leads to a more nuanced view of the relationship between social actors and society. I discuss some peculiarities of the Italian context in relation to the SM scene and provide some examples on how consent and negotiation are discussed and enacted by SM practitioners.
In this article I conceptualise BDSM (Bondage, Domination and Submission,
Discipline, Sadism and ... more In this article I conceptualise BDSM (Bondage, Domination and Submission, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism) practices within the frame of contemporary intimacies. This article draws from an empirical research in Milan, involving qualitative interviews and participant observations. Initially, I present a definition of BDSM drawn from contemporary sociological and anthropological literature. Then, I focus on the literature on intimacy, the public/private divide, the marketization of intimacy, and kinship and queer studies of the last decades, to frame BDSM practices among contemporary forms of intimacy. These include practices and identities beyond the heterosexual monogamous couple, such as non-heterosexual or reconstituted families, polyamorous or bareback practitioners, singles, and others; and move outside of the primacy of the sexual realm, by shifting the attention from the supremacy of the sexual sphere and the sexual intercourse. Intimacy is here primarily intended as access to the Other; to its inner and most secret parts. In order to widen our perspectives on intimacy, I provide examples from my empirical research of how practitioners intend and conceptualise BDSM as intimacy both as a risky and unsafe activity when dealing with violation of consent, and in a positive and constructive way as a qualitatively different and rich relationship with their play partners.
Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 2016
This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops... more This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops to MA class on history, theory and politics of consumption. We used Wikipedia as a tool to consider the circuit of knowledge production in the Web 2.0 era, where consumers are no longer passive audiences but producers and consumers at the same time. We developed a collaborative team-work workshop aimed at the production of Wikipedia entries on topics related to the class content. In this note we describe the structure of such “Wikiworkshops”, our teaching strategy on sources management, teamwork and group teaching, and elaborate on students' reception of the workshop. Wikiworkshops proved to be an effective exercise in a collaborative economy of knowledge, and an opportunity for young sociologists to be part of it, expressing their creativity as well as becoming aware of the boundaries and limits inherent in the mechanism.
I present a subcultural analysis of the Italian Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) ... more I present a subcultural analysis of the Italian Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) community based on recent empirical findings. The research involved over 1 year of participant observation into the BDSM community of Milan and 43 interviews with members or key witnesses. Throughout the article, I explore the heuristic value of the category of subculture in highlighting important features of BDSM groups. Subcultures are intended as formed by: (1) norms, behaviours, narratives, and artefacts that circulate in a group, and (2) a sense of identification, or subcultural participation in a community. I then present four ideal types of BDSM practitioners based on the degrees of subcultural identification with the group and of display of BDSM-identification throughout practitioners’ everyday life. Some empirical examples are provided. In addition, I describe the formation of the BDSM subculture in Italy in the last 40 years as recollected by long-term members and key witnesses. Besides, I discuss its most recent developments. A subcultural analysis of BDSM groups allows the identification of group elements like power structures and shifting roles, and the different degrees of emotional and cultural involvement of social actors in the group.
Despite the secularization process, popular religion in modern or post-modern societies still ret... more Despite the secularization process, popular religion in modern or post-modern societies still retains a central role. In this article, we analyze the worship of Santa Rosalia and Mamma Schiavona. The former is worshiped by Romani and Tamil people; the latter, the Mary of Montevergine Sanctuary, is also venerated by groups of homosexuals and transsexuals. The reworking of religious categories made by these subaltern groups reminds us of the dynamic nature of Catholicism, which changes thanks to continuous contact with external and internal elements. Through Gramsci’s interpretation of popular religion as a symbolic instrument of social recognition and affirmation in opposition to the hegemonic culture, we demonstrate that popular religion plays a central social role in the construction of worldviews, sometimes in contrast with the hegemonic culture, not only as an affirmation of a different identity but as an affirmation of presence.
In this seminar I will focus on the Italian BDSM scene, as emerged from the fieldwork of my PhD r... more In this seminar I will focus on the Italian BDSM scene, as emerged from the fieldwork of my PhD research. After having defined what we mean in general with BDSM, I will focus on the Italian context. It is peculiar since notwithstanding the presence of a quite developed BDSM scene, there is no academic work about this topic. The presence of a patriarchal culture and the influence of the Catholic Church made this phenomenon quite hidden and showing controversial elements. On one side, BDSM could be a place where stereotypes could be deconstructed, on the other side, main stereotypes about gender roles present in Italian culture are reinforced again. The international feminist debate about BDSM is neither present in Italy. BDSM in Italy shows few links with the feminist movement. Related to the feminist debate and sexual revolution is the issue of polyamory; it appears that the interest in this practice is nowadays flourishing, especially in the BDSM scene. A particularity of Italy is the co-presence of BDSM and polyamory. In the debate on sexual citizenship and BDSM, the second is often seen as a boundary category for the first. Nevertheless, the debate on sexual citizenship and BDSM is absent in Italy.
The topic of negotiation, based on consent among practitioners, element on which these practices are constructed, will be discussed. In other Western contexts (e.g. US) it appears to be the core of BDSM: contracts are drawn and limits discussed. Differently, within the Italian context this negotiation is mainly implicit and happens during the play, showing some concerns about the continuum between consent and abuse. Another peculiarity regards the social and spatial segregation between homosexuals and heterosexuals within the BDSM scene. Nevertheless, younger generations of practitioners seem to show several differences with the “old guard” with regards to the themes presented. More fluidity about roles within the game, labels to describe oneself and less concerns about their privacy, marking a generational difference in the scene, as elsewhere in Western culture.
The presentation is based on both theoretical and empirical material from my PhD research project... more The presentation is based on both theoretical and empirical material from my PhD research project on the BDSM scene in Milan, Italy. I will present the main features of the scene as emerged both from fieldwork and interviews, with an introduction regarding the formalisation of the first BDSM groups in Italy. In the second part, I will discuss the feminist and queer theories on consensual SM that since the “sex wars” of the 1970s spread throughout Europe, in particular in the UK and Italy, and the US. These theories will be used to further discuss and analyse empirical material with a special focus on consent and its embodiment as experienced and enacted by BDSM practitioners.
BDSM among consent and sexual citizenship claims
The concept of sexual citizenship emerged du... more BDSM among consent and sexual citizenship claims
The concept of sexual citizenship emerged during the Sixties, after the Sexual Revolution, and strengthened during the Eighties (Weeks 1998). The core idea is that every human being is a bearer of differences related to her/his sexuality (orientation, diversities, presence of STDs, etc.) that must be acquainted, respected and valued. BDSM is a liminal concept that challenges the idea of sexual citizenship (Green 2008).
The main point I want to develop is that when a particular sexual practice becomes attached to, or part of, identity, there is space for the discussion about sexual citizenship. BDSM as a sexual practice is valued by practitioners or sympathizers since it constitutes a part of the personal/social identity, thus worthy of discussion and/or struggle. Other sexual differences followed a similar path (e.g. homosexuality). Nowadays in most Western countries a public debate about BDSM is born in recent years.
The main point of the debate regards the nature of BDSM: is it a different sexual practice or a perversion? The construction of perversions developed, following Foucault, around the discourses made by different authorities and institutions. Nowadays, the main source for classifying mental illnesses is DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), which underlines the concepts of consent and social distress as turning points for a SM diagnosis.
The importance of the consent is deeply felt among practitioners, as I noted in my empirical research in Italy. They perceive also the social distress deriving from the stigma attached to them with different intensity. Part of them defines as perverts, others don’t; some practitioners believe that BDSM should not be widely accepted, others claim that it is already accepted.
Among Western countries, the debate about the acceptability of BDSM and the claim for social recognition is open and growing.
INSEP - Journal of the International Network for Sexual Ethics & Politics, 2016
A centrally important feminist debate, known as the sex wars, took place in the United States and... more A centrally important feminist debate, known as the sex wars, took place in the United States and United Kingdom and centred around sexuality issues. A similar debate occurred in Italy. Among the topics debated was sadomasochism (SM): does consensual SM perpetuates male dominance in societies or serve as an instrument of empowerment? Despite the either/or positions within the debate, data from the fieldwork and the interviews I conducted suggest that an in-between position is more appropriate to describe the Italian SM scene for two reasons. Firstly, the notion of consent and the challenge or reproduction of the status quo in SM are concerns positioned along a continuum of experiences. Secondly, the epistemological overcoming of both deterministic approaches, in which society limits the social actor, or the liberal discourse, in which the social actor is free from social constraints, leads to a more nuanced view of the relationship between social actors and society. I discuss some peculiarities of the Italian context in relation to the SM scene and provide some examples on how consent and negotiation are discussed and enacted by SM practitioners.
In this article I conceptualise BDSM (Bondage, Domination and Submission,
Discipline, Sadism and ... more In this article I conceptualise BDSM (Bondage, Domination and Submission, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism) practices within the frame of contemporary intimacies. This article draws from an empirical research in Milan, involving qualitative interviews and participant observations. Initially, I present a definition of BDSM drawn from contemporary sociological and anthropological literature. Then, I focus on the literature on intimacy, the public/private divide, the marketization of intimacy, and kinship and queer studies of the last decades, to frame BDSM practices among contemporary forms of intimacy. These include practices and identities beyond the heterosexual monogamous couple, such as non-heterosexual or reconstituted families, polyamorous or bareback practitioners, singles, and others; and move outside of the primacy of the sexual realm, by shifting the attention from the supremacy of the sexual sphere and the sexual intercourse. Intimacy is here primarily intended as access to the Other; to its inner and most secret parts. In order to widen our perspectives on intimacy, I provide examples from my empirical research of how practitioners intend and conceptualise BDSM as intimacy both as a risky and unsafe activity when dealing with violation of consent, and in a positive and constructive way as a qualitatively different and rich relationship with their play partners.
Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 2016
This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops... more This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops to MA class on history, theory and politics of consumption. We used Wikipedia as a tool to consider the circuit of knowledge production in the Web 2.0 era, where consumers are no longer passive audiences but producers and consumers at the same time. We developed a collaborative team-work workshop aimed at the production of Wikipedia entries on topics related to the class content. In this note we describe the structure of such “Wikiworkshops”, our teaching strategy on sources management, teamwork and group teaching, and elaborate on students' reception of the workshop. Wikiworkshops proved to be an effective exercise in a collaborative economy of knowledge, and an opportunity for young sociologists to be part of it, expressing their creativity as well as becoming aware of the boundaries and limits inherent in the mechanism.
I present a subcultural analysis of the Italian Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) ... more I present a subcultural analysis of the Italian Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) community based on recent empirical findings. The research involved over 1 year of participant observation into the BDSM community of Milan and 43 interviews with members or key witnesses. Throughout the article, I explore the heuristic value of the category of subculture in highlighting important features of BDSM groups. Subcultures are intended as formed by: (1) norms, behaviours, narratives, and artefacts that circulate in a group, and (2) a sense of identification, or subcultural participation in a community. I then present four ideal types of BDSM practitioners based on the degrees of subcultural identification with the group and of display of BDSM-identification throughout practitioners’ everyday life. Some empirical examples are provided. In addition, I describe the formation of the BDSM subculture in Italy in the last 40 years as recollected by long-term members and key witnesses. Besides, I discuss its most recent developments. A subcultural analysis of BDSM groups allows the identification of group elements like power structures and shifting roles, and the different degrees of emotional and cultural involvement of social actors in the group.
Despite the secularization process, popular religion in modern or post-modern societies still ret... more Despite the secularization process, popular religion in modern or post-modern societies still retains a central role. In this article, we analyze the worship of Santa Rosalia and Mamma Schiavona. The former is worshiped by Romani and Tamil people; the latter, the Mary of Montevergine Sanctuary, is also venerated by groups of homosexuals and transsexuals. The reworking of religious categories made by these subaltern groups reminds us of the dynamic nature of Catholicism, which changes thanks to continuous contact with external and internal elements. Through Gramsci’s interpretation of popular religion as a symbolic instrument of social recognition and affirmation in opposition to the hegemonic culture, we demonstrate that popular religion plays a central social role in the construction of worldviews, sometimes in contrast with the hegemonic culture, not only as an affirmation of a different identity but as an affirmation of presence.
In this seminar I will focus on the Italian BDSM scene, as emerged from the fieldwork of my PhD r... more In this seminar I will focus on the Italian BDSM scene, as emerged from the fieldwork of my PhD research. After having defined what we mean in general with BDSM, I will focus on the Italian context. It is peculiar since notwithstanding the presence of a quite developed BDSM scene, there is no academic work about this topic. The presence of a patriarchal culture and the influence of the Catholic Church made this phenomenon quite hidden and showing controversial elements. On one side, BDSM could be a place where stereotypes could be deconstructed, on the other side, main stereotypes about gender roles present in Italian culture are reinforced again. The international feminist debate about BDSM is neither present in Italy. BDSM in Italy shows few links with the feminist movement. Related to the feminist debate and sexual revolution is the issue of polyamory; it appears that the interest in this practice is nowadays flourishing, especially in the BDSM scene. A particularity of Italy is the co-presence of BDSM and polyamory. In the debate on sexual citizenship and BDSM, the second is often seen as a boundary category for the first. Nevertheless, the debate on sexual citizenship and BDSM is absent in Italy.
The topic of negotiation, based on consent among practitioners, element on which these practices are constructed, will be discussed. In other Western contexts (e.g. US) it appears to be the core of BDSM: contracts are drawn and limits discussed. Differently, within the Italian context this negotiation is mainly implicit and happens during the play, showing some concerns about the continuum between consent and abuse. Another peculiarity regards the social and spatial segregation between homosexuals and heterosexuals within the BDSM scene. Nevertheless, younger generations of practitioners seem to show several differences with the “old guard” with regards to the themes presented. More fluidity about roles within the game, labels to describe oneself and less concerns about their privacy, marking a generational difference in the scene, as elsewhere in Western culture.
The presentation is based on both theoretical and empirical material from my PhD research project... more The presentation is based on both theoretical and empirical material from my PhD research project on the BDSM scene in Milan, Italy. I will present the main features of the scene as emerged both from fieldwork and interviews, with an introduction regarding the formalisation of the first BDSM groups in Italy. In the second part, I will discuss the feminist and queer theories on consensual SM that since the “sex wars” of the 1970s spread throughout Europe, in particular in the UK and Italy, and the US. These theories will be used to further discuss and analyse empirical material with a special focus on consent and its embodiment as experienced and enacted by BDSM practitioners.
BDSM among consent and sexual citizenship claims
The concept of sexual citizenship emerged du... more BDSM among consent and sexual citizenship claims
The concept of sexual citizenship emerged during the Sixties, after the Sexual Revolution, and strengthened during the Eighties (Weeks 1998). The core idea is that every human being is a bearer of differences related to her/his sexuality (orientation, diversities, presence of STDs, etc.) that must be acquainted, respected and valued. BDSM is a liminal concept that challenges the idea of sexual citizenship (Green 2008).
The main point I want to develop is that when a particular sexual practice becomes attached to, or part of, identity, there is space for the discussion about sexual citizenship. BDSM as a sexual practice is valued by practitioners or sympathizers since it constitutes a part of the personal/social identity, thus worthy of discussion and/or struggle. Other sexual differences followed a similar path (e.g. homosexuality). Nowadays in most Western countries a public debate about BDSM is born in recent years.
The main point of the debate regards the nature of BDSM: is it a different sexual practice or a perversion? The construction of perversions developed, following Foucault, around the discourses made by different authorities and institutions. Nowadays, the main source for classifying mental illnesses is DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), which underlines the concepts of consent and social distress as turning points for a SM diagnosis.
The importance of the consent is deeply felt among practitioners, as I noted in my empirical research in Italy. They perceive also the social distress deriving from the stigma attached to them with different intensity. Part of them defines as perverts, others don’t; some practitioners believe that BDSM should not be widely accepted, others claim that it is already accepted.
Among Western countries, the debate about the acceptability of BDSM and the claim for social recognition is open and growing.
In this article, we show how Islamic traditions interact with queer practices and identities. By ... more In this article, we show how Islamic traditions interact with queer practices and identities. By presenting the example of The Inner Circle, a Muslim queer association in Cape Town, and the figure of its leading Imam, Muhsin Hendricks, we argue the need to overcome the separation between the Islamic tradition and queer rights and struggles. Drawing from empirical data, and focusing on Imam Hendricks’ approach to queer issues as being non-normative, bottom-up, and inclusive, we present an example of an intersectional approach, which illustrates one way of breaking the triangulation between Muslim queerphobia, homocolonialism, and Islamophobia. The Inner Circle is the product of South African Islam, it is multicultural and multi-ethnic, and is shaped by the apartheid struggle and its claims for social justice. At the same time, we will argue how this association is also the expression of a globalised Islam.
Despite the secularization process, popular religion in modern or post-modern societies still ret... more Despite the secularization process, popular religion in modern or post-modern societies still retains a central role. In this article, we analyze the worship of Santa Rosalia and Mamma Schiavona. The former is worshiped by Romani and Tamil people; the latter, the Mary of Montevergine Sanctuary, is also venerated by groups of homosexuals and transsexuals. The reworking of religious categories made by these subaltern groups reminds us of the dynamic nature of Catholicism, which changes thanks to continuous contact with external and internal elements. Through Gramsci’s interpretation of popular religion as a symbolic instrument of social recognition and affirmation in opposition to the hegemonic culture, we demonstrate that popular religion plays a central social role in the construction of worldviews, sometimes in contrast with the hegemonic culture, not only as an affirmation of a different identity but as an affirmation of presence.
Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 2016
This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops... more This paper describes and reflects on a teaching experience developed as a complimentary workshops to MA class on history, theory and politics of consumption. We used Wikipedia as a tool to consider the circuit of knowledge production in the Web 2.0 era, where consumers are no longer passive audiences but producers and consumers at the same time. We developed a collaborative team-work workshop aimed at the production of Wikipedia entries on topics related to the class content. In this note we describe the structure of such “Wikiworshops”, our teaching strategy on sources management, teamwork and group teaching, and elaborate on students' reception of the workshop. Wikiworkhops proved to be an effective exercise in a collaborative economy of knowledge, and an opportunity for young sociologists to be part of it, expressing their creativity as well as becoming aware of the boundaries and limits inherent in the mechanism.
This paper deals with the analysis of the main stereotypes about gender, sexuality and the body i... more This paper deals with the analysis of the main stereotypes about gender, sexuality and the body in the BDSM Italian scene. With BDSM we intend all the practices dealing with Bondage, Domination and Submission/Discipline and Sadomasochism. In this paper I will present some theoretical reflections and partial empirical findings from my doctoral research. I relied on qualitative methods, mainly ethnographies and in-depth interviews, to conduct the research. My aim is to present how stereotypes about gender, sex and the body – key aspects of BDSM – are constructed and enacted within the scene, and explore whether and to which extent they challenge, deconstruct or reproduce the main stereotypes in society. Consent is central to BDSM play, since it differentiates these practices from paraphilia (APA 2013). Practitioners are used to negotiate scene, roles and practices before the session takes place. Given the importance of consent and negotiation in BDSM play, I want to investigate if these attitudes are reflected on the deconstruction or challenge of main stereotypes by BDSM practitioners. The importance of the subject and his/her social network in this process of choice is highlighted by empirical data, collected during ethnographies and interviews. Nevertheless, binarism with regards to gender roles, sexual orientation and roles during play is persistent.
Quando si parla di gay, di solito si parla di uomini. E le donne omosessuali restano nell'ombra, ... more Quando si parla di gay, di solito si parla di uomini. E le donne omosessuali restano nell'ombra, oltre che vittime di una doppia discriminazione: in quanto donne e in quanto lesbiche.
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Discipline, Sadism and Masochism) practices within the frame of contemporary intimacies. This article draws from an empirical research in Milan, involving qualitative interviews and participant observations. Initially, I present a definition of BDSM drawn from contemporary sociological and anthropological literature. Then, I focus on the literature on intimacy, the public/private divide, the marketization of intimacy, and kinship and queer studies of the last decades, to
frame BDSM practices among contemporary forms of intimacy. These include practices and identities beyond the heterosexual monogamous couple, such as non-heterosexual or reconstituted families, polyamorous or bareback practitioners, singles, and others; and move outside of the primacy of the sexual realm, by shifting the attention from the supremacy of the sexual sphere and the sexual intercourse. Intimacy is here primarily intended as access to the Other; to its inner and most secret parts. In order to widen our perspectives on intimacy,
I provide examples from my empirical research of how practitioners intend
and conceptualise BDSM as intimacy both as a risky and unsafe activity when dealing with violation of consent, and in a positive and constructive way as a qualitatively different and rich relationship with their play partners.
The topic of negotiation, based on consent among practitioners, element on which these practices are constructed, will be discussed. In other Western contexts (e.g. US) it appears to be the core of BDSM: contracts are drawn and limits discussed. Differently, within the Italian context this negotiation is mainly implicit and happens during the play, showing some concerns about the continuum between consent and abuse. Another peculiarity regards the social and spatial segregation between homosexuals and heterosexuals within the BDSM scene. Nevertheless, younger generations of practitioners seem to show several differences with the “old guard” with regards to the themes presented. More fluidity about roles within the game, labels to describe oneself and less concerns about their privacy, marking a generational difference in the scene, as elsewhere in Western culture.
The concept of sexual citizenship emerged during the Sixties, after the Sexual Revolution, and strengthened during the Eighties (Weeks 1998). The core idea is that every human being is a bearer of differences related to her/his sexuality (orientation, diversities, presence of STDs, etc.) that must be acquainted, respected and valued. BDSM is a liminal concept that challenges the idea of sexual citizenship (Green 2008).
The main point I want to develop is that when a particular sexual practice becomes attached to, or part of, identity, there is space for the discussion about sexual citizenship. BDSM as a sexual practice is valued by practitioners or sympathizers since it constitutes a part of the personal/social identity, thus worthy of discussion and/or struggle. Other sexual differences followed a similar path (e.g. homosexuality). Nowadays in most Western countries a public debate about BDSM is born in recent years.
The main point of the debate regards the nature of BDSM: is it a different sexual practice or a perversion? The construction of perversions developed, following Foucault, around the discourses made by different authorities and institutions. Nowadays, the main source for classifying mental illnesses is DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), which underlines the concepts of consent and social distress as turning points for a SM diagnosis.
The importance of the consent is deeply felt among practitioners, as I noted in my empirical research in Italy. They perceive also the social distress deriving from the stigma attached to them with different intensity. Part of them defines as perverts, others don’t; some practitioners believe that BDSM should not be widely accepted, others claim that it is already accepted.
Among Western countries, the debate about the acceptability of BDSM and the claim for social recognition is open and growing.
Discipline, Sadism and Masochism) practices within the frame of contemporary intimacies. This article draws from an empirical research in Milan, involving qualitative interviews and participant observations. Initially, I present a definition of BDSM drawn from contemporary sociological and anthropological literature. Then, I focus on the literature on intimacy, the public/private divide, the marketization of intimacy, and kinship and queer studies of the last decades, to
frame BDSM practices among contemporary forms of intimacy. These include practices and identities beyond the heterosexual monogamous couple, such as non-heterosexual or reconstituted families, polyamorous or bareback practitioners, singles, and others; and move outside of the primacy of the sexual realm, by shifting the attention from the supremacy of the sexual sphere and the sexual intercourse. Intimacy is here primarily intended as access to the Other; to its inner and most secret parts. In order to widen our perspectives on intimacy,
I provide examples from my empirical research of how practitioners intend
and conceptualise BDSM as intimacy both as a risky and unsafe activity when dealing with violation of consent, and in a positive and constructive way as a qualitatively different and rich relationship with their play partners.
The topic of negotiation, based on consent among practitioners, element on which these practices are constructed, will be discussed. In other Western contexts (e.g. US) it appears to be the core of BDSM: contracts are drawn and limits discussed. Differently, within the Italian context this negotiation is mainly implicit and happens during the play, showing some concerns about the continuum between consent and abuse. Another peculiarity regards the social and spatial segregation between homosexuals and heterosexuals within the BDSM scene. Nevertheless, younger generations of practitioners seem to show several differences with the “old guard” with regards to the themes presented. More fluidity about roles within the game, labels to describe oneself and less concerns about their privacy, marking a generational difference in the scene, as elsewhere in Western culture.
The concept of sexual citizenship emerged during the Sixties, after the Sexual Revolution, and strengthened during the Eighties (Weeks 1998). The core idea is that every human being is a bearer of differences related to her/his sexuality (orientation, diversities, presence of STDs, etc.) that must be acquainted, respected and valued. BDSM is a liminal concept that challenges the idea of sexual citizenship (Green 2008).
The main point I want to develop is that when a particular sexual practice becomes attached to, or part of, identity, there is space for the discussion about sexual citizenship. BDSM as a sexual practice is valued by practitioners or sympathizers since it constitutes a part of the personal/social identity, thus worthy of discussion and/or struggle. Other sexual differences followed a similar path (e.g. homosexuality). Nowadays in most Western countries a public debate about BDSM is born in recent years.
The main point of the debate regards the nature of BDSM: is it a different sexual practice or a perversion? The construction of perversions developed, following Foucault, around the discourses made by different authorities and institutions. Nowadays, the main source for classifying mental illnesses is DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), which underlines the concepts of consent and social distress as turning points for a SM diagnosis.
The importance of the consent is deeply felt among practitioners, as I noted in my empirical research in Italy. They perceive also the social distress deriving from the stigma attached to them with different intensity. Part of them defines as perverts, others don’t; some practitioners believe that BDSM should not be widely accepted, others claim that it is already accepted.
Among Western countries, the debate about the acceptability of BDSM and the claim for social recognition is open and growing.