An interdisciplinary definition of pornography: results from a global Delphi panel
An interdisciplinary definition of pornography: results from a global Delphi panel
In interdisciplinary investigations into the relationships between pornography and its audiences, the issue of how to define the
object of study is more complex than in studies situated within a single discipline. A Delphi panel of 38 leading pornography researchers from a wide range of disciplines was asked about various topics, including the definition of pornography. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of two rounds of survey responses suggested two different and—at first sight—incompatible definitions operating. The first was “Sexually explicit materials intended to arouse.” The second was a culturally relative definition suggesting pornography has no innate characteristics. This technical report suggests that we should encourage researchers to choose which definition they want to use in a self-reflective way depending on the needs of the project, so long as they make it explicit and justify their decision.
Pornography, definitions, sexually explicit materiel, interdisciplinary research
McKee, Alan
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Byron, Paul
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Litsou, Katerina
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Ingham, Roger
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McKee, Alan
7600163f-b855-4e10-a85e-4b603b32d6a7
Byron, Paul
bbf9e174-ad56-436a-aa7c-ba101981a43f
Litsou, Katerina
ec757999-5c4d-4dfa-a2b0-a51d83f0db97
Ingham, Roger
e3f11583-dc06-474f-9b36-4536dc3f7b99
McKee, Alan, Byron, Paul, Litsou, Katerina and Ingham, Roger
(2019)
An interdisciplinary definition of pornography: results from a global Delphi panel.
Archives of Sexual Behavior.
(doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01554-4).
Abstract
In interdisciplinary investigations into the relationships between pornography and its audiences, the issue of how to define the
object of study is more complex than in studies situated within a single discipline. A Delphi panel of 38 leading pornography researchers from a wide range of disciplines was asked about various topics, including the definition of pornography. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of two rounds of survey responses suggested two different and—at first sight—incompatible definitions operating. The first was “Sexually explicit materials intended to arouse.” The second was a culturally relative definition suggesting pornography has no innate characteristics. This technical report suggests that we should encourage researchers to choose which definition they want to use in a self-reflective way depending on the needs of the project, so long as they make it explicit and justify their decision.
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McKee2019_Article_AnInterdisciplinaryDefinitionO
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Accepted/In Press date: 12 September 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 23 September 2019
Keywords:
Pornography, definitions, sexually explicit materiel, interdisciplinary research
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Local EPrints ID: 434533
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/434533
ISSN: 0004-0002
PURE UUID: 335b40b4-e24b-47fb-a8c5-ee121f426a20
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Date deposited: 30 Sep 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:36
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Author:
Alan McKee
Author:
Paul Byron
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