Graduation Date
Spring 2019
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Sociology
Committee Chair Name
Mary Virnoche
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Jennifer Eichstedt
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Pornography, Gender, Sexuality, Adult industry, Discourse, Resistance, Porn, Foucault, West-Coast
Subject Categories
Sociology
Abstract
Given the ease of Internet accessibility, the porn industry increasingly provides a common socialization medium for conceptions of gender, sex, and sexuality. For my master's thesis, I interviewed 10 industry film and video actors to better understand the processes through which their experiences are created. Interviews provided the data for a discourse analysis that considers systems of power that shaped actor interactions and core definitions of sex, gender, and sexuality. Hegemonic constructions of gender, femininity, and sexuality are pervasive in the industry; however, the industry also provides an arena for transformative discourse and disruption of hegemonic ideals. This research is important as it centers actor voices in providing insights into an industry that shapes actor lives and the everyday experiences of millions of viewers around the world. In particular, my work explores the extent to which actor experiences subvert, challenge or resist hegemonic definitions of gender, race, sex, and sexuality, as well as those that evidence reinscription of current ideologies. Actor experiences of gender, race, and sexualities were often congruent with hegemonic definitions. However, many participants expressed that pornography has the potential to create new forms of knowledge and meaning related to gender, sex, sexuality, identity and more.
Citation Style
ASA
Recommended Citation
Silver, Samantha, "Pornstars, content creators, and sex educators: A discourse analysis of gender, sexuality & resistance in the West-Coast pornography industry" (2019). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 293.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/293