Kinky in the Digital Age: Gay Men's Subcultures and Social Identities

Through rapid cultural change and technological advances, kink subculture has become more visible and accessible-and less stigmatized-than ever before. Internet communities have created exciting new possibilities for social identities and communities in ways that were once thought unimageable, both online and in the real world. This book combines a range of psychological, sociological, and cultural theories with 74 interviews of gay men in this community to unpack their attraction to kink and its impact on their social and sexual identities. In examining how the internet has transformed these subcultures, this book presents an authentic picture of kink social networking sites that have empowered and enabled a whole new group of people to engage both on- and offline. Through its case study of pup play, this book follows the rich tradition of locating kinksters in their communities and cultural contexts. It also investigates new pathways for a wide range of gay men, such as "non-community participants" who want to practice kink without entering the community. Kinky in the Digital Age is a comprehensive, empirically deep exploration of gay men's social and sexual experiences of kink. It bolsters the voices of these men in an unprecedented way as it documents the history and potential of this fascinating subculture and social community.