Exploring the Intersection of Chronic Pain and BDSM in Critical Disability Studies

 
 Kink Pain and Chronic
Pain
 
Emma Sheppard, PhD
Lecturer in Sociology – Aberystwyth University
ems83@aber.ac.uk
 
Critical Disability Studies?
 
a methodological approach to studying power, privilege, and oppression of
bodily and mental norms which is not dependent upon the presence of disabled
people, yet is informed by social perspectives, practices, and concerns about
disability.” (Shalk 2017)
As part of – and tied to – disability justice/rights movements (Meekosha and Shuttleworth
2017)
Interdisciplinary
Social and relational approach to disability – rather than viewing disability as
fixed/immutable and in a binary with non-disabled
“broadly alighed with a postconventional theoretical approach” (Shildrick 2007) – as well as
emancipatory approaches such as CRT and intersectionality
bodyminds as socio-cultural entities
Crip theory – critique of normalizing tendency, drawing on queer theory (McRuer
2006; Kafer 2013)
Compulsory ableism – non-disabled as ‘default setting’ as well as ideal
 
 
My Research
 
How people who experience chronic pain also experience pain within
BDSM and erotic play.
Extended interviews with 8 disabled people who live with chronic
pain
Men, women, trans and non-binary – gay, straight, bisexual – monogamous,
polyamorous, single
Multiple disabilities, different diagnoses and support requirements
White and mixed-race
3 interviews per participant over 12-18 months; diaries
Collaborative analysis
 
Why BDSM and Chronic Pain
 
Pain as somatic sensation and discursive construction (within abled
heteronormativity)
Exploring discourses of pain in kink and chronic pain helps unpick
these – despite the assumption that they are exclusive experiences
Infantilisation and asexualisation – and pathologisation
 
Living with Chronic Pain and Fatigue
 
Ableism – assumptions and expectations about how bodyminds work, and
what it means to be ill, disabled, and/or in pain
“healthy” as both default and desireable
Cure/rehabilitation narrative - 
emphasis on cure and treatment pushes responsibility
for ending pain onto the person living with pain, and ending pain is recast as a
personal choice (Patsavas, 2014)
Neoliberal management of self – pain  as personal failure
Medical hero narrative
Illness/disability as temporary state
Experiencing pain makes us human, but being in pain makes us  the 
abject
other – unwanted and monstrou
s
Chronic pain must be lived with; normality must be performed
Stigma management
 
Engaging the Bodymind
 
Kink as space to deliberately engage with somatic experience – the
full bodymind
And also space to engage positively; kink “makes [Natalie] feel beautiful,
physically stronger and useful both to [herself] and [her partner]” (Natalie,
interview 1)
Making pain work for and with oneself – embracing a queer/crip
selfhood
Kink as space in which the limitations and capabilities of the bodymind can be
explored and contested
 
Control
 
"Controlling pain is important. Whether that
be resting to decrease some pain, using
painkillers if they work, moving position at
the simplest level. Kink is taking this to its
natural conclusion by making pain to control."
(Julie, interview 2)
Controlling pain – causing pain, choosing to
actively engage with it, altering or stopping
sensation, and controlling emotional
responses to pain
Demand that we control our bodies ‘properly’ –
appropriate behaviour
proper and improper times/spaces to express
emotions
 
"[Pain] doesn’t necessarily impact on people
in the sense that you’re not going to piss on
somebody’s seat with your pain, but… so it’s
slightly different, but… So in some ways,
there’s even less scope for it to spill out,
because people don’t see it when it does."
(Charlie, interview 2)
Failure to control is horrifying for witnesses –
as though observing/acknowledging the
expression of pain will make the pain
contagious.
Need for space for uncontrolled response –
BDSM and speaking back to pain.
Pain is still painful, but also positive – a
conscious subverting of chronic pain through
BDSM play – reclaiming the self
Chronic pain as reliably unreliable – leads to a
sense of lack of control
 
Future Plans
 
“A Good Life with Chronic Illness?”
Questioning “good life” – but also the role of (crip) time and pleasurable
activities in living with chronic illness, fatigue, and pain
Imagining futures as the first step to building futures
Small project – creative methods
Quilt square making and asynchronous discussion group
 
Works Cited
 
Kafer, A., 2013. 
Feminist, queer, crip
. Indiana UP.
McRuer, R., 2006. 
Crip theory: Cultural signs of queerness and disability
.
NYU P.
Meekosha, H. and Shuttleworth, R., 2009. What's so ‘critical’about critical
disability studies?. 
Australian Journal of Human Rights
, 15(1), pp.47-75.
Patsavas, A., 2014. Recovering a cripistemology of pain: Leaky bodies,
connective tissue, and feeling discourse. 
Journal of Literary & Cultural
Disability Studies
8
(2), pp.203-218.
Schalk, S., 2017. Critical disability studies as methodology. Lateral, 6(1).
Sheppard, E., 2023. 
Chronic Pain, BDSM and Crip Time
. Routledge.
Shildrick, M., 2007. Dangerous discourses: Anxiety, desire, and
disability. 
Studies in Gender and Sexuality
, 8(3), pp.221-244.
Slide Note
Embed
Share

Critical Disability Studies examines power dynamics in bodily and mental norms, including the experiences of chronic pain within BDSM and erotic play. Research delves into discourses of pain, challenging assumptions and stigma associated with chronic pain and disability. The study emphasizes collaborative analysis and aims to understand the complex intersectionality between pain, ableism, and societal expectations.


Uploaded on Aug 07, 2024 | 0 Views


Download Presentation

Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Kink Pain and Chronic Pain Emma Sheppard, PhD Lecturer in Sociology Aberystwyth University ems83@aber.ac.uk

  2. Critical Disability Studies? a methodological approach to studying power, privilege, and oppression of bodily and mental norms which is not dependent upon the presence of disabled people, yet is informed by social perspectives, practices, and concerns about disability. (Shalk 2017) As part of and tied to disability justice/rights movements (Meekosha and Shuttleworth 2017) Interdisciplinary Social and relational approach to disability rather than viewing disability as fixed/immutable and in a binary with non-disabled broadly alighed with a postconventional theoretical approach (Shildrick 2007) as well as emancipatory approaches such as CRT and intersectionality bodyminds as socio-cultural entities Crip theory critique of normalizing tendency, drawing on queer theory (McRuer 2006; Kafer 2013) Compulsory ableism non-disabled as default setting as well as ideal

  3. My Research How people who experience chronic pain also experience pain within BDSM and erotic play. Extended interviews with 8 disabled people who live with chronic pain Men, women, trans and non-binary gay, straight, bisexual monogamous, polyamorous, single Multiple disabilities, different diagnoses and support requirements White and mixed-race 3 interviews per participant over 12-18 months; diaries Collaborative analysis

  4. Why BDSM and Chronic Pain Pain as somatic sensation and discursive construction (within abled heteronormativity) Exploring discourses of pain in kink and chronic pain helps unpick these despite the assumption that they are exclusive experiences Infantilisation and asexualisation and pathologisation

  5. Living with Chronic Pain and Fatigue Ableism assumptions and expectations about how bodyminds work, and what it means to be ill, disabled, and/or in pain healthy as both default and desireable Cure/rehabilitation narrative - emphasis on cure and treatment pushes responsibility for ending pain onto the person living with pain, and ending pain is recast as a personal choice (Patsavas, 2014) Neoliberal management of self pain as personal failure Medical hero narrative Illness/disability as temporary state Experiencing pain makes us human, but being in pain makes us the abject other unwanted and monstrous Chronic pain must be lived with; normality must be performed Stigma management

  6. Engaging the Bodymind Kink as space to deliberately engage with somatic experience the full bodymind And also space to engage positively; kink makes [Natalie] feel beautiful, physically stronger and useful both to [herself] and [her partner] (Natalie, interview 1) Making pain work for and with oneself embracing a queer/crip selfhood Kink as space in which the limitations and capabilities of the bodymind can be explored and contested

  7. Control "Controlling pain is important. Whether that be resting to decrease some pain, using painkillers if they work, moving position at the simplest level. Kink is taking this to its natural conclusion by making pain to control." (Julie, interview 2) Controlling pain causing pain, choosing to actively engage with it, altering or stopping sensation, and controlling emotional responses to pain Demand that we control our bodies properly appropriate behaviour proper and improper times/spaces to express emotions "[Pain] doesn t necessarily impact on people in the sense that you re not going to piss on somebody s seat with your pain, but so it s slightly different, but So in some ways, there s even less scope for it to spill out, because people don t see it when it does." (Charlie, interview 2) Failure to control is horrifying for witnesses as though observing/acknowledging the expression of pain will make the pain contagious. Need for space for uncontrolled response BDSM and speaking back to pain. Pain is still painful, but also positive a conscious subverting of chronic pain through BDSM play reclaiming the self Chronic pain as reliably unreliable leads to a sense of lack of control

  8. Future Plans A Good Life with Chronic Illness? Questioning good life but also the role of (crip) time and pleasurable activities in living with chronic illness, fatigue, and pain Imagining futures as the first step to building futures Small project creative methods Quilt square making and asynchronous discussion group

  9. Works Cited Kafer, A., 2013. Feminist, queer, crip. Indiana UP. McRuer, R., 2006. Crip theory: Cultural signs of queerness and disability. NYU P. Meekosha, H. and Shuttleworth, R., 2009. What's so critical about critical disability studies?. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 15(1), pp.47-75. Patsavas, A., 2014. Recovering a cripistemology of pain: Leaky bodies, connective tissue, and feeling discourse. Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies, 8(2), pp.203-218. Schalk, S., 2017. Critical disability studies as methodology. Lateral, 6(1). Sheppard, E., 2023. Chronic Pain, BDSM and Crip Time. Routledge. Shildrick, M., 2007. Dangerous discourses: Anxiety, desire, and disability. Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 8(3), pp.221-244.

Related


More Related Content

giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#