The Pleasure Gap: A Sociological Analysis of Evaluating Female Pleasure in Pornography
- Degree Grantor:
- University of California, Santa Barbara. Sociology
- Degree Supervisor:
- France Winddance Twine
- Place of Publication:
- [Santa Barbara, Calif.]
- Publisher:
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Creation Date:
- 2012
- Issued Date:
- 2012
- Topics:
- Sociology, General and Women's Studies
- Keywords:
- Gender,
Pleasure,
Media studies,
Gender inequality,
Feminist pornography, and
Sexuality - Genres:
- Online resources and Dissertations, Academic
- Dissertation:
- M.A.--University of California, Santa Barbara, 2012
- Description:
Just as gender scholars have identified gaps in women's experiences with labor (the wage gap and the leisure gap), there is a gendered inequality in sexual experience I call the pleasure gap: a gendered inequality in opportunities to experience pleasure. I argue that pornography viewership provides a strategic way to both uncover and to challenge this inequality. This project explores pornography at the point of consumption, through empirically analyzing how focus group participants respond to and assess different types of pornography. Feminist porn producers have identified the depiction of genuine female pleasure as the primary criterion for distinguishing their work from mainstream pornography. I explore how women spectators assess both mainstream and feminist pornography, particularly the authenticity of the pleasure claimed by female performers' vocalizations. The data show a gendered "pleasure gap" in opportunities for women to view and assess pornography, and explores the possibility of feminist pornography as a site of female sexual empowerment.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (56 pages)
- Format:
- Text
- Collection(s):
- UCSB electronic theses and dissertations
- Other Versions:
- http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqm&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1534390
- ARK:
- ark:/48907/f3cj8bfq
- ISBN:
- 9781267939678
- Catalog System Number:
- 990039502960203776
- Copyright:
- Emily Crutcher, 2012
- Rights:
- In Copyright
- Copyright Holder:
- Emily Crutcher
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