Class Year
2015
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2015
Department 1
Anthropology
Abstract
In American culture, violence is typically understood as inherently negative; no one would want to be personally subjected to violence because violence by its very nature is undesirable. Thus, the idea of seeking out violence seems paradoxical. In cases where a person actively pursues violent treatment, the question arises: can violence be consensual? This question is included in discourse on sadomasochism (SM), or an attraction to giving or receiving pain in a sensual or sexual context, which many argue is a form of violence. Through a critical discourse analysis of legal statutes regarding interpersonal violence and interviews with women involved in SM, I will address the question of whether or not sadomasochism can be considered physical and sexual violence.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Rivoli, Lisa R., "Consensual Violence: A Cultural Contradiction" (2015). Student Publications. 321.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/321
Comments
This paper was written for Professor Amy Evrard's course, ANTH 304: Anthropology of Violence and Conflict, Spring 2015.