Playing on the Edge: Sadomasochism, Risk, and Intimacy (41 page)

research on, 154–55, 184 risk response theories, 184

role-playing, 63–64, 69–72, 78–79.

See also
play

Ronai, Carol R., 187, 199–200

rope, 3, 69, 101, 106, 179.

See also
bondage

Sacher-Masoch, Leopold von, 66 sacrificial pain, 137–38

Sade, Marquis de, 66

sadism, 18–19, 78, 132, 139

safety

edgework risks, 148–49

RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink), 147

SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual), 146–47, 154

and status, 148–49

and topping, 84–88

and trust, 89, 91–92, 150–51

and violence, 128

See also
risk safewords

defined, 208n6:2 and edgework, 184

negotiation of, 75–76

playing without safewords, 64, 151 and power exchange, 74

and “pushing limits,” 87

and redirecting the scene, 70 and trust, 90

uses of, 76–77

and violations of trust, 162–63

Scarry, Elaine, 129

scat, 63, 206n3:2

scene names, 62 scenes (SM play)

aftercare, 76, 85, 87, 151 authenticity of experience in, 71–74 communication in, 76–77

costumes in, 64, 103–104 fantasy as component of, 60–61

flow experience in, 95–97, 190–92 interruption of scenes, 151–54,

209n7:2

negotiation of parameters of, 75–76, 149–50

onlookers at public scenes, 65–66,

151–52

power exchange in, 71–74 /files/03/11/35/f031135/public/private scenes, 151–52

scene space, 149–50

structure of, 75–76

See also
play; safewords

science fiction, 9, 43, 50–52 Scott, Gini Graham, 10
Secretary
(film), 207n3:7

service submissives, 100, 112, 114

service topping, 111, 115, 117, 128, 208n5:3

sexual identity, 25, 48–50, 126

sexual violence, 198 sexuality

and access, 175

and eroticism, 126–28

and intimacy, 173, 185–86

perspective of SM as, 66–69, 201–202

as SM identity, 48–50, 126

See also
eroticism singletails, 36–37, 64, 192

SM community (Caeden SM community) overview, 5–7

as community, 7–8, 42–43

discovery narratives, 43–44, 54 fieldwork experience in, 11–14, 205n5 gender discourse in, 106

inclusion criteria, 44–46 intimacy as concept in, 173 leather scene in, 206n3:3

relationships with other scenes, 63 sexual orientations/practices in, 14,

78, 207n8

validation of marginal identity in, 37–38, 46–47

wankers as outsiders, 65–66, 206n3:4

See also
community

SM community (general), 4, 10, 146–47.

See also
community SM identification, 78–80 SM identity

essentialism as identity practice, 38, 47, 49–50, 54

and gender performance, 107–109 journey as identity practice, 49, 98, 117 maintenance of power differential,

71–72, 78–79

and marginal identity, 38, 47–48, 54–55

and sexual identity, 48–50, 126

SM performances.
See
play; scenes (SM performances)

“SM” term, 18–19

social status overview, 99–101

and edgework, 147–48, 197

and risk, 161

and spanking, 197 Society of Janus, 4 spanking, 65, 128, 196

SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual), 146–47, 154

Stanko, Elizabeth A., 182–84 Stear, Nils-Hennes, 61–62

Stebbins, Robert A., 83–84, 96, 98 submissive/dominant.

See
dominant/submissive subspace, 96, 190–92

switching

and gender, 109, 117, 207n11 as SM identification, 79

and status, 115, 117

tears/crying, 92, 95, 133

Tedlock, Barbara, 16 Thompson, Hunter S., 154 topping

and autotelic pain, 140

badass topping, 109–110, 114–15

benevolent dictatorship, 110–11,

114–15

”bringing back” the bottom, 91–92 and competence, 93–94

and edgework, 147–48, 150, 156–59

and efficacy, 92, 100–101

flow experience in, 96–97

and gender performance, 108, 114,

117, 208n5:2, 208n7

learning to top, 84–88 and personal growth, 94

pro-dommes (professional domina- trixes), 63, 66, 208n6

and risk, 182, 209n7:4 and “sadist” term, 78

service topping, 111, 115, 117, 208n5:3 and “SM” term, 18–19

and social status, 99–101, 147–48

”top” term, 19, 78

tops as “reaction junkies,” 77, 100 and transformed pain, 135

and trust, 161–62

See also
dominant/submissive; D/s toughness/strength, 94, 160

toys

blades/knives, 39–41, 73, 124–26

collars, 70

fids, 123–24

finger cuffs, 40

floggers, 68, 81–82, 84–86, 94,

105–106, 152, 163, 190–92

quirts, 109, 166

rope, 3, 69, 101, 106, 179

scene play defined by, 69 singletails, 36–37, 64, 192

Wartenberg wheels, 104

transformed pain, 134–37

Truscott, Carol, 127 trust

and edgework, 161–63

and gender, 182–84

and risk, 150–51

as SM social-psychological reward, 89–92

and violence/violation, 177–80

violation, 161–63, 176–80 violence

and consent, 131

erotic-violent dualism, 126–30,

142–43

and intimacy, 176–80, 209n6

and medical/sports discourse, 141–42 nonconsensual violence, 175–76

sexual violence, 198

voyeurism, 175

Walklate, Sandra, 182

wankers, 65–66, 206n3:4

Wartenberg wheels, 104 Weinberg, Martin, 206n3 Weinberg, Thomas, 63, 66–67

West, Candace, 29, 107 whips

floggers, 68, 81–82, 84–86, 94,

105–106, 152, 163, 190–92

quirts, 109, 166

singletails, 36–37, 64, 192

Wilkins, Amy C., 35, 38, 116

Williams, C. J., 63, 66–67, 206n3

women.
See
femininity; feminism; gender Zussman, Robert, 10

Staci Newmahr is an ethnographer. Her work plays with intersections of risk, eroticism, and gender. She is currently Assistant Professor of Sociology at Buffalo State College.