Influence of Pornography on the Subjective Construction of Sexual Desire: an Intersectional View

Abstract

This article is part of a doctoral thesis that seeks to explore, from a gender and intersectional perspective, the elements involved in the subjective construction of sexual desire. As pornography is currently one of the main references in the learning of sexuality, this work analyzed how the consumption of pornography can influence the experience of sexual desire based on identity components that modulate the consumption. For this purpose, qualitative research was carried out, consisting of twelve in-depth interviews and a discussion group. The sample included people of different ages, social class, race and sexual orientations. The analysis of the first-person accounts allowed us to explore identity conflicts and the possibility of practicing or experiencing violent sexual behaviors that could be associated with pornography viewing. Conclusion: In our study we observed that the consumption of pornography would be more widespread among heterosexual male participants, with more and more women in the sample having this tool as a reference. At the same time, sexual practices with violent content appear to be gaining relevance among the youngest participants, with dissatisfaction of female desire being seen as less important. The conflicts and discomforts associated with pornography were mainly identified by female participants, where the adoption of submission in sex-affective practices seems to derive from the frames of reference of sexual learning, including pornography. However, in the non-heteronormative framework, pornography consumption appears to influence the sexual practices chosen to a lesser extent, with desire occupying different significance compared to the hegemonic sexuality transmitted through pornography.