| Revision as of 09:29, 24 February 2003 editKarada (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users24,485 edits See paraphilia for other rarer or pathological forms of paraphilia.← Previous edit | Revision as of 08:08, 11 April 2003 edit undoKarada (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users24,485 edits Fetishism in its milder forms merges into the mainstream culture; the vast range of women's shoes available in mainstream shoe shops, most of which are not designed for comfort, demonstrates that low-Next edit → | ||
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| One theory of fetishism is that it derives from ] in early childhood. | One theory of fetishism is that it derives from ] in early childhood. | ||
| Fetishism in its milder forms merges into the mainstream culture; the vast range of women's shoes available in mainstream shoe shops, most of which are not designed for comfort, demonstrates that low-level ] pervades mainstream Western culture. | |||
| References: | References: | ||
Revision as of 08:08, 11 April 2003
Sexual fetishism, first described as such by Sigmund Freud though the concept and certainly the activity is quite ancient, is a form of paraphilia where the object of affection is a specific inanimate object or part of a person's body. The term arose from fetishism, the general concept of an object having supernatural powers, or an object created by humans that has power over other humans. Marx also used the term in a quite separate way - see fetishism for details.
Common fetishes include fetishes focused on footwear, underclothing or garments made out of specific materials such as rubber, fur, spandex or leather. Transvestic fetishism, the fetish of dressing in the clothes of the opposite sex, is also common.
Other fetishistic attachments can be to specific parts of the body, such as head or body hair, legs, feet or breasts, rather than to the person as an individual.
In this regard, there can be said to be a degree of fetishistic arousal in most normal individuals who respond to particular bodily features as sign of attractiveness. However fetishistic arousal is generally considered to be a problem when it interferes with normal sexual or social functioning. Sometimes the term 'fetishisism' is used only for those cases where non-fetishist sexual arousal is impossible.
Although these forms of fetishism are the most common, fetishism, like other forms of human sexuality, can be extremely varied and can encompass almost any aspect of human behaviour.
A large sub-genre of pornography exists to serve fetishistic interests.
One theory of fetishism is that it derives from behavioural imprinting in early childhood.
Fetishism in its milder forms merges into the mainstream culture; the vast range of women's shoes available in mainstream shoe shops, most of which are not designed for comfort, demonstrates that low-level shoe fetishism pervades mainstream Western culture.
References:
- Deviant Desires: Incredibly Strange Sex, by Katharine Gates, published by Juno Books ISBN 1-890451-03-7
Common varieties of fetishism:
Less common forms of fetishism:
See paraphilia for other rarer or pathological forms of paraphilia.
See also:
External links: