Dominatrix: Gender, Eroticism, and Control in the Dungeon by Danielle Lindemann was published in 2012. This is a scientific work related sociological issue of unconventional sexual practices. Danielle Lindemann interviewed professional dominatrices (pro-dommes) in New York City and San Francisco, who catered their male clients involved in Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM). She maintained that the study of this small subculture, where gender relations are inverted, with normally ‘dominant’ males being reduced to ‘subs’ and ‘slaves’ by women, illustrated the more ‘normal’ types of gender relations and sexuality in society and the “tensions that undergird the ‘real’ world” (Lindemann, p. 4). Especially interesting to her was the fact that even in ‘dungeons’ where these acts are all supposedly scripted in advance, there was usually a struggle for control between the pro-dommes and their male clients, who in real life mostly belong to the “dominant group” in political and economic life (Lindemann, p. 120). Although they secretly desire to be humiliated, degraded and dominated by a powerful female ‘slave master’, at the same time they have difficulty giving up the power and control that they enjoy in everyday life. She also found that most of these women really do considered themselves to be trained professionals and even performance artists, and that they can make a great deal of money by working independently through the Internet once they have built up a list of regular clients (Lindemann, 2012). Many of them were also involved in BDSM practices in their personal lives, so they have found work that they genuinely enjoy.
The book can make a deep impression on either profane or advanced reader because the opinion represented in it. The affect made by the arguments stated in the book was tremendous since the author offered considerable food for thought. Dominatrix: Gender, Eroticism, and Control in the Dungeon had totally changed my perception of BDSM practices. I understood that often our consciousness is restricted by the frames of orthodox mentality. The fieldwork of Danielle Lindemann helps overstep the limits of traditional perception of BDSM practices and to understand the root causes of such a behavior. Some excerpts from the book directly relate my personal experiences. I noticed that some people whom I know, especially those burdened with power, are inclined to demonstrate quite different behavior in different situations. For example, at work where they used to exercise power, they behave as dominances while they tend to be really helpless and submissive in the situations that do not relate their work. It is natural to suggest that such a behavior may find a reflection in sexual life too. I shall not be surprised if once I get to know that people of this type may find some exotic ways, like BDSM, to take pleasure. Also, BDSM experience may help release psychic tension related excessive responsibility. They may use BDSM practices as way to escape from reality and pretend to be guided by someone else at least in some part of their lives. In whole, such kind of services as prostitution and other related practices fulfill the function of physiological relief.
The book is well-written in academic style, very informative, and easy readable. The sense of humor of the author is splendid taking into account the subject that was touched on. The topic of the research is poorly studied, thus, the book had greatly contributed to this area of sociological knowledge. Also, her contribution to anthropology, queer and cultural studies is indisputable. The book clearly reflects the struggle we experience every day regardless of areas of life. Confrontation of the dominant and the submissive can be observed not only in gender relationships, but in other areas, such as commerce. It will appear a case when behavior that is considered deviant may tell one more about normalcy and ordinariness. This work possesses huge analytical strength offering new insight on what is perceived normal sexual relationships. Previous works related this subject considered the issue from “normal” heterogeneous perspective while Lindemann succeeded to offer a new vision on what is normal and what is not. The new perspective shown by the author of the book definitely gives a challenge to a marginal position thus disturbing prevalence of monogamous, heterosexual, “normal”, and economically stable. She approached social phenomena of BDSM practices from quite different perspective that cannot be seen through steamed spectacles of mainstream culture. The main idea of the book is that the diversity of the world cannot be squeezed into the framework of conventional masculine and feminine comportment. Lindemann succeeded to extract the most intimate experience that was typically hidden, represented as perversion or foreclosed by people of traditional orientation. By doing this she attempted to add fresh ideas into the inert discussion held before in similar literature.
REFERENCES
Lindemann, D.J. (2012). Dominatrix: Gender, Eroticism, and Control in the Dungeon. University of Chicago Press.
