Comments on: The dominant paradigm (BDSM pun intended) http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259 A Flaneur in the world of Academia Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:43:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: kouk http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259&cpage=2#comment-33098 kouk Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:11:32 +0000 http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259#comment-33098 But, speaking of "deviations", I don't think that we can draw parallels between the significance of BDSM-related behavior and that of homosexuality. We could perhaps draw parallels between the social significance of BDSM and gender-based cultural movements like queer culture. In that sense, someone who is part of a certain culture that society deems 'deviant', is not exhibiting an innate behavior but is making a choice to participate in such a culture. As long as that participation is consensual there is nothing to discuss really. On the other hand I think that perhaps our disdain for culture-wars, like for example the wars waged by the dominant culture against other cultures, like LGBT, BDSM or other, has made us essentially uncritical regarding the meaning of certain behaviors. But, speaking of "deviations", I don't think that we can draw parallels between the significance of BDSM-related behavior and that of homosexuality. We could perhaps draw parallels between the social significance of BDSM and gender-based cultural movements like queer culture. In that sense, someone who is part of a certain culture that society deems 'deviant', is not exhibiting an innate behavior but is making a choice to participate in such a culture. As long as that participation is consensual there is nothing to discuss really.

On the other hand I think that perhaps our disdain for culture-wars, like for example the wars waged by the dominant culture against other cultures, like LGBT, BDSM or other, has made us essentially uncritical regarding the meaning of certain behaviors.

]]> By: kouk http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259&cpage=2#comment-33095 kouk Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:51:49 +0000 http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259#comment-33095 The fact that social deviations have in the past been considered examples of mental pathology doesn't say much about the nature of the specific "deviations", only about mental science. In particular it betrays the fact that in psychiatry, personal behavior, roughly speaking, that is correlated with problems in the social arena has always been considered suspicious from a pathological standpoint. Perhaps that is not so unreasonable, although it is certainly not precise. The fact that social deviations have in the past been considered examples of mental pathology doesn't say much about the nature of the specific "deviations", only about mental science. In particular it betrays the fact that in psychiatry, personal behavior, roughly speaking, that is correlated with problems in the social arena has always been considered suspicious from a pathological standpoint. Perhaps that is not so unreasonable, although it is certainly not precise.

]]> By: MistressTaz http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259&cpage=2#comment-32154 MistressTaz Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:25:04 +0000 http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259#comment-32154 Yes I am a Domme of 20 or so years. I understand exactly what you are saying, and the world of D/s is a unique community that has it's own language and rules. From the outside looking in we are often as foreign as a different country, but...Four years ago $275 000 USD was spent to research some aspect of BDSM. If you read the data it was clear that all the research was done in Europe Leather bars, but applied to world wide D/s practitioiners. D/s and Leather are similar but so are England and Ireland if you don't look to close. When you research a group of people...BDSM or Greek you can begin by asking questions to narrow focus...we are people and we can help them understand the social nuances. If you asked a Greek about the gesture he will tell you what it means and it is no longer a mystery. Modern research still over looks this kind of info as though they still consider us "uneducated masses". wink (sorry for the rant..but the last study I read suggested I was prone to social out bursts due to my inability to seperate a deep insecurty due to past trauma from current experiences...LOL.) I really do enjoy your insights..have a good day. Yes I am a Domme of 20 or so years. I understand exactly what you are saying, and the world of D/s is a unique community that has it's own language and rules. From the outside looking in we are often as foreign as a different country, but…Four years ago $275 000 USD was spent to research some aspect of BDSM. If you read the data it was clear that all the research was done in Europe Leather bars, but applied to world wide D/s practitioiners. D/s and Leather are similar but so are England and Ireland if you don't look to close. When you research a group of people…BDSM or Greek you can begin by asking questions to narrow focus…we are people and we can help them understand the social nuances. If you asked a Greek about the gesture he will tell you what it means and it is no longer a mystery. Modern research still over looks this kind of info as though they still consider us "uneducated masses". wink (sorry for the rant..but the last study I read suggested I was prone to social out bursts due to my inability to seperate a deep insecurty due to past trauma from current experiences…LOL.) I really do enjoy your insights..have a good day.

]]> By: sofiagk http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259&cpage=1#comment-69422 sofiagk Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:10:23 +0000 http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259#comment-69422 Hello there and welcome. From your comment I am assuming you are a practitioner so one more 'welcome' for you as you have insider's knowledge. What you are describing is not uncommon for many disciplines - especially social ones as it is notoriously difficult to come into conclusions from an observer's point of view. For example - observing someone in Greece open their fingers wide and kinda 'waving' to another person would be like 'hello' unless the researcher knew that for Greeks its an offensive gesture. I think its the same with any kind of research for which the basic codes are missing. Hello there and welcome. From your comment I am assuming you are a practitioner so one more 'welcome' for you as you have insider's knowledge.
What you are describing is not uncommon for many disciplines – especially social ones as it is notoriously difficult to come into conclusions from an observer's point of view.
For example – observing someone in Greece open their fingers wide and kinda 'waving' to another person would be like 'hello' unless the researcher knew that for Greeks its an offensive gesture.
I think its the same with any kind of research for which the basic codes are missing.

]]> By: MistressTaz http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259&cpage=1#comment-32123 MistressTaz Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:01:18 +0000 http://www.digital-era.org/academia/?p=259#comment-32123 Interesting topic isn't it? I have been reading the papers and results of research done on this topic, and one thing I find is that in the past 20 years the people trying to decide what this devience really means and represents are looking in from behind safety glass, trying to figure out what we subjects are doing and thinking. Many papers proove that if they had begun by asking even a simple question of someone inside the lifestyle their research could have possibly answered a question, rather than proovng they simply do not understand. Interesting topic isn't it? I have been reading the papers and results of research done on this topic, and one thing I find is that in the past 20 years the people trying to decide what this devience really means and represents are looking in from behind safety glass, trying to figure out what we subjects are doing and thinking. Many papers proove that if they had begun by asking even a simple question of someone inside the lifestyle their research could have possibly answered a question, rather than proovng they simply do not understand.

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