Sexual fetishism

Sexual fetishism, first described as such by Alfred Binet in his Le fétichisme dans l?amour, 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. Karl Marx also used the term, but in a quite separate way.

Modern theories of fetishism

Although Freud's theory on fetishes may seem peculiar and was based on anecdotal evidence rather than empirical, he had discovered a critical aspect of human sexuality: the relationship between human orgasms and conditioning. Ongoing studies make this relationship more clear. For example, in a study published by Dr. Lique M. Coolen on April 14, 2003 at an Experimental Biology conference in San Diego, California, male rats accustomed to having sex in a particular cage will have elevations of "pleasure-inducing chemicals in the brain" simply from being in the particular cage, even if a female or a female scent are not present. Sexual conditioning occurred. It has been hypothesized that human sexuality may similarly be tied to conditioning, and this may explain the phenomenon of sexual fetishism.

Related Topics:
Empirical - Human sexuality - Conditioning - Lique M. Coolen - April 14 - 2003 - San Diego - California

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This is consistent with the theory that fetishism derives from behavioural imprinting in early childhood, a phenomenon which is not only supported by anecdotal evidence in humans, but can be demonstrated experimentally in other species of Kingdom Animalia.

Related Topics:
Behavioural imprinting - Anecdotal evidence

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It is also hypothesized that the modern world provides many opportunities for superstimulus based on objects that both mimic and exaggerate natural stimuli.

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Common fetishes include fetishes focused on shoes, boots, gloves, wigs, body piercing, underclothing, diapers, or other garments made out of specific materials such as rubber, fur, spandex, leather, or nylon. Transvestic fetishism, the fetish of dressing in the clothes of the opposite sex, is also common. Some clothing materials are fetishized by a small number of people, perhaps on the basis that the material forms a "second skin" that acts as a fetishistic surrogate for the wearer's own skin. The most common forms of this are spandex fetishism and rubber fetishism, in which the fabric is both stretchy and shiny, exaggerating some of the aspects of human skin.

Related Topics:
Shoes - Boots - Gloves - Wig - Body piercing - Underclothing - Diapers - Garment - Rubber - Fur - Spandex - Leather - Nylon - Transvestic fetishism - Clothing - Fetishized

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Other fetishistic attachments can be to specific parts of the body, such as head or body hair, legs, feet or breasts, or specific shapes of the body, rather than to the person as an individual. This might explain foot binding in China in pre-modern times, extensive corset use in the West in the 19th century and breast implants in the contemporary United States.

Related Topics:
Foot binding - China - Corset - Breast implants - United States

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Sometimes, whole cultures can develop the fetish to such an extent that it is no longer perceived as a fetish, but merely as a normal sexual desire; for example late-Victorian England's ankle fetish, or the modern commonplace fetish for lingerie.

Related Topics:
Normal sexual desire - Victorian - England - Ankle - Lingerie

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In this regard, there can be said to be a degree of fetishistic arousal in the average person who respond to particular bodily features as sign of attractiveness. However fetishistic arousal is generally considered to be a problem only when it interferes with normal sexual or social functioning. Sometimes the term 'fetishism' is used only for those cases where non-fetishist sexual arousal is impossible.

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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 behavior.

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A number of sub-genres of pornography exist to serve fetishistic interests, with corresponding erotica in the form of fetish art.

Related Topics:
Pornography - Erotica - Fetish art

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