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Sexual fetishism

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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.

References:

  • Deviant Desires: Incredibly Strange Sex by Katharine Gates, published by Juno Books ISBN 1-890451-03-7

Common varieties of fetishism:

See also:

External links: