Fetishism

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Fetishism

• By Kelci Boness
• Patrick Brafford
• Ashley Brewer
• Vanesha Bridges
• Kendrick Brown

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Fetishism is a form of Paraphilia

• Paraphilias recurrent, intense sexually arousing
  fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors generally
  involving

• 1) nonhuman objects
• 2) the suffering or humiliation of oneself or
  ones partner, or
• 3) children or other nonconsenting persons, that
  occur over a period of at least 6 months (DSM-IV,
  1994).

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Types of Paraphilias

• Exhibitionism
• Fetishism
• Frotteurism
• Pedophilia
• Sexual Masochism
• Sexual Sadism
• Transvestic Fetishism
• Voyeurism

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What is fetishism?

• Fetishism is defined as sexual fantasies, urges
  or behaviors that focus on nonliving objects, not
  including clothing for cross-dressing or devices
  such as vibrators that produce genital
  stimulation (DSM-IV, 1994).

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Inanimate object fetishes are categorized in two
types form fetishes and media fetishes

• In a form fetish, it is the object and its shape
  that are important, such as in the case of
  high-heeled shoes.

• In a media fetish, it is the material out of
  which the object is made that is important, such
  as silk or leather.

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The History of Fetishism

• Sigmund Freud was the first to describe the
  concept and the activity of fetishism.
• The term arose from fetishism, the general
  concept of an object having supernatural powers,
  or an object created by humans that has power
  over other humans.
• In 1887, Freud described sexual fetishes in men
  as the result of childhood trauma regarding to
  castration anxiety (Sexual fetishism, 2003).

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Diagnostic Criteria

• Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent,
  intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual
  urges, or behaviors involving the use of
  nonliving objects (e.g., female undergarments).
• The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause
  clinically significant distress or impairment in
  social, occupational, or other important areas of
  functioning.
• The fetish objects are not limited to articles of
  female clothing used in cross-dressing (as in
  Transvestic Fetishism) or devices designed for
  the purpose of tactile genital stimulation (e.g.,
  a vibrator).

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Theories of Causes

• Some learning theorists believe that fetishism
  develops from early childhood experiences, in
  which an object was associated with a
  particularly powerful form of sexual arousal or
  gratification (Psychology Today, 2003).

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• Other theorists believe that it could be caused
  from an experience with masturbation as a young
  child-often one has been long forgotten-could
  develop into a fetish for an object that serves
  as a subconscious reminder (Nordenberg, 2003).
• Sociobiology explains fetishism in terms of
  material evidence with respect to evolution,
  genetics, and hormones.

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Models of Fetishism

• Psychoanalytical models centers on penis worship
  and castration.
• Behavioral models a child who is the victim or
  observer of inappropriate sexual behaviors learn
  to imitate and is later reinforced for the
  behavior.
• Compensation models individuals are deprived of
  normal social sexual contacts and thus seek
  gratification through less socially acceptable
  means.

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• Physiological models focus on the relationship
  between hormones, behavior and the central
  nervous systems with a particular interest in the
  role of aggression and male sexual hormones
  (Psychology Today, 2003).

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Treatment for Fetishism

• Treatment for fetishism includes psychoanalysis,
  hypnosis, and behavior therapy techniques.
• Recently, drugs called antiandrogens lower
  testosterone levels.
• Men, also get treated with Depo-Provera or
  cyproterone acetate to decrease their
  testosterone levels (Psychology Today, 2003).

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Types of Fetishes

• Foot fetish Two men, Doug Gaines and Gary Brett
  started an organization for foot fetishes to give
  people an easy way to meet their solemates.

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• In 1985, the Foot Fraternity was formed for
  homosexuals only, and the Foot Fetishes and
  Fantasies Society (FFF) for the heterosexuals.
• Some types of form fetishes include boots,
  dresses, gloves, underwear, etc.
• They often have specific requirements, such as
  the dress might have to be wet or slashed the
  shoes, shiny or creaking.

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• The media fetishes can be divided into two types
  hard and soft.
• Hard fetishes such as leather and rubber tend to
  be smooth, shiny, and black, and are often tight
  constricting garments or shoes.
• Soft fetishes are fluffy, frilly, or fuzzy.
  Examples include lingerie and fur (Steele, p.
  26).
• There are many more types of fetishes, including
  the less common ones such as fat, diapers,
  blood, and artificial limbs. Although, anything
  can become a fetish.

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Works Cited

• American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and
  Statistical Manual of Disorders, Fourth Edition.
  Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association,
  1994.
• "Fetishism." Psychology Today . (). Retrieved 05
  11 2003 lthttp//www.psychologytoday.com/HTDocs/pro
  d/PTOInfo/pto_term_fetishism
• "Knocking their socks off foot fetishism."
  Psychology Today 26.4 (1993). Retrieved 12 11
  2003 lthttp//0-web4.infotrac.galegroup.com.uncclc.
  coast.uncwil.edu/itw/infomark/891/808/428
• Nordenburg, Tamar. "Fetishism and Other Sexual
  Preferences." Sexual Health . (2002). Retrieved
  06 11 2003 lthttp//www.health.discovery.com/center
  s/sex/fetish/fetishes.htmlgt.
• "Sexual fetishism." Wikipedia . (). Retrieved 06
  11 2003 lthttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_fetis
  hismgt.
• Steele, Valerie. Fetish Fashion, Sex, Power.
  New York Oxford University Press Incorporated,
  1996.