'A certain evolution': a phenomenological study of 24/7 BDSM and negotiating consent. Issue 3 (3rd July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cascalheira, Cory J.; Thomson, Amy; Wignall, Liam
• Is Part Of: Psychology and sexuality. Volume 13:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 628
• Page End: 639
• Publication Date: 2022-07-03
• Subjects: 24/7 BDSM -- kink -- qualitative -- sexual identity -- serious leisure; Sex (Psychology) -- Periodicals; Sex (Psychology); Periodicals; 155.305
• DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2021.1901771
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1941-9899

Abstract

ABSTRACT: BDSM as a full-time lifestyle is stigmatised and underexamined as a phenomenon. Previous studies have investigated 24/7 sadomasochism (SM), 24/7 dominance and submission (D/s), or total power exchange (TPE), yet 24/7 BDSM remains under researched. Using a social constructionist and sexual diversity framework, we used insider knowledge to recruit four participants: a female slave/masochist, a male sadist, a female submissive, and a male dominant/protector. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed four superordinate and 10 subordinate themes: routes towards the fundamentals (sexually explicit resources, kink-related experiences), full-on lifestyle (self-in-role, flexible rules, shades of play, polyamory), dynamic consent (honesty, contextual communication), and practicalities (challenges, benefits). Our findings suggested that 24/7 BDSM is a socially constructed, consensual, full-time adherence to kink-related roles and behaviours untethered to time-limited scenes, woven into other life domains, and operating as an umbrella term to encompass other perpetual power dynamics. The themes contribute to the debate of kink as a sexual identity or serious leisure. We concluded that the centrality of self-in-role coupled with leisure features support 24/7 BDSM as an erotic lifestyle. Implications for sexual diversity, sex education, clinical guidelines, and social justice are discussed.