Sugaring as a deviant career: Modes of entering sugar relationships and social stigmas

ABSTRACT

While the research on sugaring has expanded in recent years, there are still many gaps in our understanding of these relationships and how women begin them. Therefore, in this paper I draw from 48 in-depth interviews to understand the methods by which women enter into sugar arrangements and the extent to which this process is intentional, inadvertent, or coerced. Specifically, I draw from the literature on deviant careers to discuss three modes of entry which include drifting, entering via conscious decision, and entering defensively. Additionally, I focus on the public and enacted stigmas women experience once they enter the sugar lifestyle. Specifically, these stigmas came in the form of others conflating sugaring with prostitution, receiving negative reactions due to the age disparity between sugar partners, being labeled immoral, and being called a “greedy gold digger.”

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ Because some individuals find the terms “sugar baby” and “sugar daddy” to be disparaging, for this research I use the terms “recipient” and “benefactor” respectively.

² It is important to note that some women had more than one sugar relationship and, therefore, may have used more than one mode of entry. However, for the purpose of this research I explore the initial mode of entry into their first sugar relationship.

³ While most sugar relationships began when participants were legal adults, two participants were under the age of 18 when they began a relationship with their benefactor (one was 13 and the other was 17). These two relationships are arguably examples of the ways which some young girls may be groomed by sexual predators at a young age.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of Research Services (ORS) at the University of Colorado Denver; CLAS Non-Tenure Track Faculty Development Grant from the University of Colorado Denver;

Notes on contributors

Maren T. Scull

Maren T. Scull is an Associate Professor, Clinical Teaching Track at the University of Colorado Denver. She uses qualitative methods to conduct research in the areas of deviance, sexualities, gender, and social psychology. Specifically, she looks at the ways in which deviant roles and statuses impact individuals’ self-conceptions and identities with a specific focus on those who engage in sexual deviance and/or sex work.