Men Find Trophies Where Women Find Insults

Sharing Nude Images of Others as Collective Rituals of Sexual Pursuit and Rejection

Bibliographic Data

ID2368342
AuthorsMorgan Johnstonbaugh (0000-0002-6551-7970, University of Arizona, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume35
Issue5
Pages665-690
Publication date2021-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGender & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0891-2432 • E-ISSN: 1552-3977
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/08912432211036907
OpenAlexW3195364403
LanguageDE
Citations received7
References cited50

As sexting has become more common, so has the sharing of nude and semi-nude images of others. While women and men may both engage in this practice, when they do so they often participate in distinct gendered rituals. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews with college students, I examine how the symbolic meanings attached to men and women's nude images in the context of intimate heterosexual interactions shape collective rituals of sexual pursuit and sexual rejection. I find that men share images of women with their peers to demonstrate sexual prowess and receive praise, whereas women share images of men with their peers to cope with unwelcome sexual advances and receive support. These gendered rituals are linked to the perceived desirability of men's and women's nude images. While rituals of domination appear among men and reproduce unequal gender relations, rituals of commiseration appear among women to resist unequal gender relations

Developmental psychology · Praise · Sexual behavior · Sociology · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · History · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Psychology · Social Psychology

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