Description
Book SynopsisThis unique book examines the relationship between wounding and sexuality, bringing together issues around sexuality, gender, power, violence and representations. Drawing on a range of disciplines including cultural and media studies, sociology and psychology, it explores social practices such as S&M, cosmetic surgery and ''extreme'' sports.
Trade Review'Sex and violence are each moments of transgression, trespassing across boundaries. The essays in this startling book, so ably collected by Burr and Hearn, attend to the similarities among various erotic wounds. Whether self-inflicted or done by others, criminal or consensual, textual or corporeal, erotic wounding is more than simply a site of skin-deep pleasure and/or pain. Beneath the epidural lie a host of gendered and sexual inequalities that many of these authors make viscerally visible.' - Michael Kimmel, Professor of Sociology, SUNY Stony Brook, US and author of The Gender of Desire
'A fascinating collection of readings on the interweaving of sexuality and violence in the 'erotics of wounding' men's and women's bodies. Surprises abound the collection encompasses unexpected and controversial viewpoints, theories of the body, sexuality, and the social nature of violence, and deconstruction of popular culture. You'll want to read every chapter.' - Judith Lorber, Professor Emerita, Graduate School and Brooklyn College, CUNY, US; co-author of Gendered Bodies: Feminist Perspectives and author of Breaking the Bowls: Degendering and Feminist Change.
'This is a fascinating, challenging and timely book, drawing together an impressive list of international contributors. Exploring a wide range of issues around the relation between sex, violence and the body, it makes a significant contribution to the literature and will, I have no doubt, appeal to a wide readership across a range of disciplines. What is particularly original is approaching the sex-violence-body nexus through a specific focus on the 'erotics of wounding' and, in each of the subject areas addressed across the 12 chapters, the book clearly sets out the key conceptual issues, debates and challenges in this frequently misunderstood area. This is an important, insightful and challenging book.' - Professor Richard Collier, Newcastle Law School, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Table of ContentsIntroducing the Erotics of Wounding: Sex, Violence and the Body; J. Hearn and V. Burr Body Modification as Self-mutilation by Proxy; S. Jeffreys Breast Augmentation Surgery: Carving the Flesh as Female; T. Kinnunen Physical Bruises, Emotional Scars, and 'Love-bites': Women's Experiences of Men's Violence; M. Jones and J. Hearn Harming or Healing? The Meanings of Wounding Amongst Sadomasochists who also Self-injure; A. Ritchie Making the Moves: Masculinities, Bodies, Risk and Death in the 'Extreme' Sport of Rock-climbing; V. Robinson Transformations of Pain: Erotic Encounters with Crash; A. McCosker Tortured Heroes: The Story of Ouch! Fan Fiction and Sadomasochism; J. Alexander 'Oh Spike you're covered in sexy wounds!' The Erotic Significance of Wounding and Torture in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; V. Burr Spectacular Pain: Masculinity, Masochism and Men in the Movies; T. Edwards Cut Pieces: Self-mutilation in Body Art; U. Angkjær Jørgensen The Loathsome, the Rough Type and the Monster: The Violence and Wounding of Media Texts on Rape; M. Livholts Bibliography
