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Assembling bodies-without-organs: A poststructuralist analysis of group sex between men
Dave Holmes1, Chad Hammond2, Lauren Orser1
1Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Summary
Group sex among men who have sex with men is explored as boundary play. Participants navigate pleasure, safety, and risk within structured environments, challenging norms around sexual relations.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Sexuality Studies
- Cultural Anthropology
Background:
- Group sex among men who have sex with men (MSM) challenges heteronormative, monogamous, and risk-averse sexual norms.
- These practices are often perceived as high-risk due to potential transmission of HIV and STIs, alongside social and legal repercussions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the desires, practices, and contexts of group sex participants within a US-based group sex party.
- To understand group sex through a poststructuralist lens, specifically Deleuze and Guattari's concepts of 'bodies without organs' and 'boundary play'.
Main Methods:
- Ethnographic research study.
- In-depth exploration of group sex participants (n=10).
- Application of poststructuralist theory to analyze sexual practices and social dynamics.
Main Results:
- Group sex is conceptualized as 'boundary play,' where individuals explore physical and social limits.
- Participants operate within carefully constructed environments that establish norms for trust and safety.
- Various risk reduction practices are actively promoted and adhered to within these sexualized spaces.
Conclusions:
- Poststructuralist concepts of 'boundary play' and 'bodies without organs' offer a framework for understanding MSM group sex.
- Participants actively construct and navigate pleasure, safety, and risk in these environments.
- Group sex events can be understood as spaces for exploring desires while managing perceived risks.
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