Member Perspectives on the Role of BDSM Communities

Abstract

Bondage-discipline/Dominance-submission/sadomasochism (BDSM) is an often misunderstood and misrepresented social phenomenon warranting further discourse and study. Community-based research that engages member perspective can assist in understanding socially marginalized experiences. The current study examined the role, meaning, and function of BDSM communities from the perspective of self-identified members. Seven nominal group technique workshops were conducted representing a variety of practitioner experiences and identities. Workshops involved 48 participants and resulted in the generation of 133 unique terms describing the role of BDSM communities in their lives. Terms were coded using a five-step procedure involving both academic and community members. A total of 15 categories were identified and included domains such as acceptance, sexual expression, friendship, safety, and sharing of educational knowledge. Results underscore the multifaceted nature of the role of such communities. While results consisted of mostly positive features, participants also identified certain negative aspects, such as conflict among members. Results from the study provide a succinct, member-derived, structured inventory of the role of BDSM communities that can serve to validate and synthesize existing research, improve dissemination of community voice around BDSM, and inform future research. We conclude with a discussion of the study’s implications for sex education, clinical practice, and community dissemination.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank members of the BDSM community who took part in this study. We are also grateful to the Community Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities for its generous support and endorsement, as well as Dr. Chris Keys for his review and input.

Notes

¹ The term Dominance is capitalized to reflect the nomenclature commonly found within BDSM communities.

² Note that transgender people often participate in all three of these subcommunities, and in many cities community structures specific to transgender people exist.

³ These features are widely held with BDSM communities. It is also true that some practitioners challenge these community notions of consent by pushing boundaries through “consensual nonconsent” (see Newmahr, 2011).