Sexuality, sex positivity and shame

Abstract

Shame occurs in diverse situations: when norms and values are suffocated, when individuals are seen as they don’t want to be seen, but also in the context of the naked body und sexuality. If sexuality is guarded by rigid moral norms, those fields overlap. But do people who value sex as something positive also experience shame and if so in which regard? To answer this question, seven interviews with people from sex-positive communities were conducted and analyzed via Thematic Analysis. Seven topics were worked out: evaluation, moral standards, body shame, sexuality being visible, disgust, construction and deconstruction of shame and elevation of shame. A shift of moral values in this community can be observed, however, the sexual act itself, if noticed by uninvolved others, is still experienced as shameful. I discuss if potential disgust of the other plays a role and if sexuality itself is a way to overcome shame und disgust.