A Deeper Look in to Porn
2nd Theoretical Perspectives Paper
Group 2: Angela, Megan, Ashley, and Mariana
By utilizing the three Sociological Theories, Symbolic Interactionist Theory,
Conflict Theory, and Functionalist Theory, we hope to find a deeper level of
understanding of the world around us. One issue burgeoning to the forefront of life in the
U.S. is pornography. The World English Dictionary defines pornography as writing,
pictures, films, etc designed to stimulate sexual excitement. Porn is a multibillion-dollar
industry that produces more than 13,000 films a year in the U.S. alone. Being that it’s
such an abundant business, it deserves a deeper look as to how it is affecting us as a
country.
The Symbolic Interactionist Theory gives due recognition to the significance of
images like the Playboy Bunny for example, the symbol of a porn company that has
become common place for all ages and social classes. With this theoretic perspective the
importance of how people evaluate their own sexual conduct/performance by comparing
themselves with porn stars is also addressed. Women especially are bombarded with the
idea that they are sex symbols and that their value is based on their appearance or their
bedroom abilities. Often in pornographic films men will have much less face time with
the camera than women, emphasizing the double standard of unrealistic expectations of
female sexual performance.
An aspect of pornography that the Conflict Theory may explain best is the
struggle between conservative groups and supporters of the porn industry to control
ratings, access, and distribution of product (let alone its very existence). There is an
imbalance of power between men and women derived from females being portrayed as
objects. Generally, pornography encourages the idea that men are superior to women and
helps to enforce inequalities between the sexes in our society. Most pornography
devalues females and reinforces expectations of how a girl should look, act, and behave.
The Functionalist Theory makes an excellent argument for the functions, manifest
and latent, of pornography in our society. Through this theory pornography can be
explained by its manifest uses in sexual release, experimentation, entertainment, and by
its economic benefits. One latent function of the porn industry is that it helps boost
revenue for many other companies that help make it all happen. Porn is also valuable for
bankers, software producers, credit card companies, internet providers, and hotel chains.
In 2007, an article off of XBIZ, a porn industry site, stated that the annual revenue of
hotel porn was over $500 million. Another latent function includes a correlation between
the availability of porn and the amount of rapes. In Anthony D’Amato’s article “Porn up,
Rape Down” he wrote that, “The incidence of rape in the United States has declined 85%
in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers
and adults.” There are also many dysfunctions that pornography can be linked to:
addiction, deviation of existing norms and values, and the deterioration of marriage. To
the functionalists, it’s important to look at both the positive and negative consequences
porn has on society.
In the particular case of pornography it is the theory of Symbolic Interactionsim
that is most adept at explaining and predicting possible outcomes. While Conflict theory
explains the relationship between the porn industry and society well, it is unable to
explain deeper levels of a microsociological issue. The Functionalist’s view of
pornography also focuses on a more macrosociological level, but still focuses on how
pornography affects an individual. A con of the functionalist view is that they fail to
show what may happen in the future so it doesn’t offer any solution to the problem. It
may be most effective to view pornography from a Symbolic Interactionist perspective,
but each of the theoretical perspectives of Sociology reveal important insights to the
creation, characteristics, purposes, effects, and the possible outcomes that any subject
may have on our society.
Works Cited
"Definition of pornography noun from Cambridge Dictionary Online: Free English
Dictionary and Thesaurus." Cambridge Dictionary Online: Free English
Dictionary and Thesaurus - Cambridge University Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Aug.
2011. <http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pornography>.
Dines, Gale. "Porn: a multibillion-dollar industry that renders all authentic desire plastic."
Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk . N.p., 4
Jan. 2011. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/04/pornography-bigbusiness-influence-culture>.
"Pornography - Focus on the Family." Focus on the Family: Helping Families Thrive.
N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.
<http://www.focusonthefamily.com/socialissues/pornography.aspx>.
Worstall, Tim. "The freakonomics of smut: Does it actually cause rape?." The Register:
Sci/Tech News for the World. N.p., 30 June 2011. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/30/smut_freakonomics/>.