Name
Capella University
PSYC FPX 2900
Prof. Name
December, 2024
Abstract
This paper analyzes how sexual behaviors are depicted in the Twilight series. It primarily focuses on the relationship between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen-both a high school student and a vampire who develop intense and complex romantic feelings and desires that have a degree of danger to them as well. The whole series can be marked by Edward’s desire to control the physical aspects of their intimacy, which stems from his being a vampire. This forms a dynamic of power, restraint, and longing, and the paper analyzes these sexual behaviors and questions where the boundaries lie between passion and control. It also examines the repercussions of such portrayals on public perceptions of romance and relationships within young adult literature and film adaptations as well as how they shape public understandings of consent, agency, and idealized love.
Sexual Behavior
Sexual behavior represents a variety of actions, expressions, and practices involved in human sexuality (Mokros et al., 2019). These behaviors include reproductive activity such as sexual intercourse and non-reproductive acts, such as flirting, touching, and intimate contact. Sexual behavior is influenced by a range of factors such as biological drive, psychological needs, cultural norms, and the influence of society. All individuals are bound to act out their sexuality differently, based on personal preference, value, and experience. These can vary from conventional expressions of intimacy to more atypical practices, like those found in BDSM or other alternative sexual subcultures. Furthermore, within different cultures and historical periods, sexual behavior may be widely accepted or stigmatized depending on the prevailing norms of the time. Indeed, sexual behavior in media, books, and film influences the perception of the public to a large extent and can reinforce or challenge cultural ideals regarding consent, power, and intimacy. Sexual behavior certainly remains an important aspect of personal and social life.
Bondage Dominance Sadism Masochism (BDSM)
This paper aims to focus on Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, and Masochism which is abbreviated as BDSM, and it involves a wide and diverse range of sexual activities, which may involve force, consensual power relations, role play, and erotic sensation (Brown et al., 2020). Such behaviors typically include mutually agreed upon power switches in which one person is the aggressor, and the other is passive or submissive. Bondage is any kind of restraint or limiting whereas dominance and submission are mental control in which an individual controls others. Sadism is the act of inflicting pain or humiliation on a partner while masochism is the act of receiving pain or humiliation from a partner, whether through force or consent.
The BDSM sexual subculture particularly opposes the conventional concept of intimacy and sexual relationships. Contrary to what a lot of people think in their minds – that it is something inherently abusive or violent the fundamental principles of BDSM include consent, communication, and established protocols between the consent acquire partners, more on the principle of its safety for both. Regarding sadomasochism people are divergent – some may like mind play in the power trip and some like the skin or feeling contact/ or deep feeling thrills.
Bondage Dominance Sadism Masochism and the Media
Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, and Masochism (BDSM) have slowly emerged from the shadows, and scenes of them are now more and more frequently shown in the media (Larva & Rantala, 2024). There have been so many discussions made by great minds about consent power, and sexual freedom. In this regard therefore BDSM is an activity that is founded on mutual agreement and that has set parameters of conduct but due to the presentation and portrayal of events in media, it evokes a lot of concerns especially where brute force and abuse are enacted and or forced on the other partner. An example of this is the sleepers in the social fantastic ‘Twilight’ series where the relationship between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen is full of shades of BDSM master-slash-slave subculture, but it is never stated as such. The psychological aspect of BDSM is evident in their relationship because, even though he loves her, his need to dominate specific areas of a physical relationship, differs from her desire to experience an intimate moment, even if he is in a vampiric state. However, the series doesn’t develop or portray BDSM as such. Instead, it follows a much more traditional and romantic path, and though this dynamic isn’t labeled as BDSM, there’s much to consider when looking at control, consent, and the nature of desire within the BDSM relationship.
Impact on Society Based on Media Portrayal of BDSM
This is where cultural innovations, sensationalism, and fictionalized portrayals in the media have such an enormous influence on the social attitudes to &/or sexuality, consent, and power in interpersonal relationships (Ornelas et al., 2023). As BDSM in turn is now gradually moving from the sexual fringe to halfway mainstream through such works as Fifty Shades of Grey, it has engendered a lot of discussion about what healthy sexual practice looks like. At the same time, it can be noted that such presentations have introduced other sexual practices and made conversation on topics related to BDSM less stigmatized and more permissive regarding talking about one’s desire and sex life. However, about what concerns how BDSM finds its representations in films and literature, looks dubious. The majority are driven by issues of domination, and submission which may at times make it difficult to distinguish between consensual dominance/submission play and real abuse. This gives the public a wrong perception of the nature of the relationships in BDSM which has negotiated, negotiated, and agreed on power exchange, and the drama or sensationalism that drowns out everything else. Therefore, what this entails is that public perception can be harmed as well as benefited by the way that the media portrays BDSM.
On the one hand, it brings to light practices that many people thought were non-existent or rare and provides people with the privacy with which they can examine more of themselves sexually. On the other hand, it continues what is unhealthy mostly the proposition that BDSM is always an act of manipulation or abuse (Wuyts & Morrens, 2022). Fetishism in media can also work to shape how people consider power relations in their relationships and if not conveyed in a safe way that respects consent, it might encourage the practicing of other toxic behavior. Lastly, the media confirms the need for clam proclaimed, accurate, and positive portrayal of BDSM focusing on safety, consent, and clear communication in all sexual relationships.
Bondage Dominance Sadism Masochism and the Media – Abnormal and Deviant
BDSM is the bond of bondage, dominance, sadism, and masochism and was actually once seen as a sign of perversion by the passing society mostly due to prejudice and misconceptions and often due to the representation of the mass media (Dunkley & Brotto, 2019). For the most part, in movies or novels, BDSM is portrayed as straight-up violence or as an indicator of some sort of mental illness in the character, not as mutually agreed upon, safe, and sane kink. This distorted view can lead to negative stereotypes and result in people involved in BDSM being perceived as anything but perverts. In Twilight, the romantic partnership between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, while not BDSM, does bear many similarities to this connection especially when interpreting Edward as dominating and possessively controlling Bella’s life. Some psychological aspects of BDSM can also be traced in Edward and Bella’s relationship, especially the internal conflict within the first vampire, who suffers from an irresistible desire to protect and control Bella and remove all the sexual aspects of their relations on their own. Nevertheless, Twilight is sold as a pretty love story where you won’t find any mention of consent or lack of it, which are core aspects of BDSM. This absence can help to fuel a belief that BDSM is harmful simply because it entails power relations and control, but does not discuss the fact that all the activities th Jahres that take place in BDSM relationships are consensual and negotiated.
PSYC FPX 2800 assessment 4 Conclusion
The analysis of media texts, such as Twilight, is crucial for understanding how people in a community view power relations, control, and sexual practices in BDSM. Although BDSM is a safe way of sexual self-expression which most participants include themselves, media portrayal of this practice involves depicting enforcing domination as consensual erotic play rather than non-consensual violence, thus reproducing prejudiced stigmas and assumptions (Mokros et al., 2019). It becomes all the more important as the media continues to impact attitudes on sexuality to provide greater representations of BDSM that contest older ideas of deviance while making communication, trust, and consent paramount.
PSYC FPX 2800 assessment 4 References
Brown, A., Barker, E. D., & Rahman, Q. (2020). A systematic scoping review of the prevalence, etiological, psychological, and interpersonal factors associated with BDSM. Journal of Sex Research, 57(6), 781–811. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2019.1665619
Dunkley, C. R., & Brotto, L. A. (2019). The role of consent in the context of BDSM. Sexual
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Larva, M. A., & Rantala, M. J. (2024). An evolutionary psychological approach toward bdsm interest and behavior. Archives of Sexual Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-02881-x
Mokros, A., Wessels, J., Hofmann, M., & Nitschke, J. (2019). Coercive sexual sadism: a systematic qualitative review. Current Psychiatry Reports, 21(12), 135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1118-9
Ornelas, S., Camilo, C., Rebeca, C., Hatzinikolaou, K., & Calheiros, M. (2023). Social schemas about human trafficking involving girls and women: A systematic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 73, 101873–101873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2023.101873
Wuyts, E., & Morrens, M. (2022). The biology of BDSM: A systematic review. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 19(1), 144–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.11.002