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Swinging Around Stigma: Gendered Marketing of Swingers’ Websites

Sexuality & Culture volume 17, pages 348–359 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Most research on swingers focus on the participants of this lifestyle. While research has examined swingers from a relational perspective, few, if any, have specifically examined the sources that facilitated swingers’ networks. In this paper, we are interested in how websites promote themselves and manage such a stigmatized activity. Specifically, we examine what aspects of swinging these websites focus on in order to attract members. Our findings indicate that these websites employ strategies that do not confront the stigma directly. In fact, this approach in and of itself is another strategy to swing around stigma. In addition, these websites are gendered and clearly target heterosexual men.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Gettysburg College, Box 412, 300 N. Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA

    Allison T. Serina, Molly Hall  & Voon Chin Phua

  2. Department of Sociology, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, USA

    Desirée Ciambrone

Authors
  1. Allison T. Serina
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  2. Molly Hall
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  3. Desirée Ciambrone
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  4. Voon Chin Phua
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Correspondence to Voon Chin Phua.

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Serina, A.T., Hall , M., Ciambrone, D. et al. Swinging Around Stigma: Gendered Marketing of Swingers’ Websites. Sexuality & Culture 17, 348–359 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-012-9153-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-012-9153-2

Keywords

  • Swingers
  • Advertisements
  • Online
  • Stigma
  • Gender