Award Date
1-1-1999
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Sociology
First Committee Member
Kathryn Hausbeck
Number of Pages
250
Abstract
A number of cultural perspectives address the question of male consumers of heterosexually oriented pornography. Porn and the consumer have been characterized from feminist, conservative, and scientific positions. Despite the presence of these perspectives, little work informed from the consumer perspective exists. This research allows consumers to speak about their own experience. This research analyzes the impact of framing discourses on the identity construction of consumers. Using concepts from Foucault and cultural studies, these questions are explored: How do discourses about consumers affect their identity construction? Which are important? How do men construct their consuming experiences? How does consumption context affect identity construction? How do consumers feel people will perceive them? Data derives from a questionnaire and individual interviews analyzed qualitatively. Findings indicate consumers' sense of themselves as influenced by discourses in culture; however, when given the opportunity to speak they demonstrate resistance.
Keywords
Construction; Consumers; Discourse; Identity; Male; Porn
Controlled Subject
Social psychology; Women's studies; Social psychology
File Format
File Size
7966.72 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Permissions
If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have the full text removed from Digital Scholarship@UNLV, please submit a request to digitalscholarship@unlv.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.
Repository Citation
Harper, Andrew Fletcher, "Using porn: Discourse and identity construction in male consumers" (1999). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1117.
http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/qow5-ahxa
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
COinS