BDSM session practices (Bondage, Domination, Submission, Sadism and Masochism) are usually understood under two theoretical paradigms. On the one hand, from psychopathology and perversion based on the fact that sadomasochism is a perversion and cataloged within DSM V as a mental disorder 1 and on the other hand from social constructionism as part of the BDSM session subculture, who point to an inclusive view and innovative sexuality, which is seen as an art that involves new forms of expression and new sexual choices 2 . Additionally, it is striking that we have found research that suggests the absence of a relationship between pathology and BDSM practice 3. Due to this the need arises to carry out this work, to understand the perspective of its protagonists. Likewise, we found a significant deficit of information and studies carried out in Spanish and mainly in Venezuela. To do this, a qualitative methodology was used, with the aim of achieving grounded theory. The data was collected between December 2015 and March 2016, as part of a larger study called NO SEX, IT IS A LIFESTYLE: POWER, PAIN AND PLEASURE IN SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP. This article is based in part on the findings presented in the third dimension "BDSM-related practices".
Later it can be seen how, beyond the theoretical positions, BDSM session practices can be experienced as a subculture; it is a community that is governed by certain norms and customs; they use various types of paraphernalia and particular methods for relating sexually. These practices involve a step-by-step process that can have infinite variations and possibilities. In turn, these practices assume the experience of pain as something pleasant, understood by each practitioner as something totally subjective despite the physiology.
Referential framework
The manifestations of sadism and masochism have been present throughout the history of humanity. Sadomasochism as such was acquiring a sexual connotation, thanks to two influential authors of literary works: Donatien Alphonse François de Sade at the end of the 18th century, due to his stories in which he describes sexual practices that include violence, humiliation, paraphilias and other types extravagant scenes and by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, writer of novels that narrate practices of submission and sexual masochism, dating back to a century after Sade. Later, sadomasochism is considered as a sexual deviation and is categorized as a mental disorder within paraphilias in the diagnostic manuals for mental pathologies, which remains to this day.
On the other hand, as we mentioned previously, there are approaches that conceive sadomasochism as a subculture and grant these individuals their own discourse, thus moving away from the focus of perversion or disease. Foucault 2 , considers that sexuality is developing historically from the need to create new sexual choices. Analogously, Rubin explains that sexuality cannot be posed merely in biological terms, but rather that a constructionist stance must be taken, focusing on the meaning that the individual constructs from his experience and exchange with society.
BDSM session is a relatively new phenomenon, originating in the United States and Europe around the 1950s, with which many individuals can relate regardless of their sexual preference 5. This subculture encompasses sadomasochism, and stands as the opposite of the pathological perspective of this phenomenon. BDSM encompasses sadomasochism, however; BDSM is a larger dimension that contains a multiplicity of practices, concepts and categories. First, it denotes submission / domination, bondage, pain, leather culture, power exchange, role play, and fetishes. Another common differentiation is to associate BDSM with play, which is why practitioners of this sexuality often refer to "play parties" referring to meeting places for this phenomenon and incorporating the use of toys, clothes and other types of paraphernalia. For their part, practices can swap from the most common, such as bondage or whips, to the less common, such as playing with incest themes .
Now, BDSM session seems to propose a new form of sexuality choice, with a vast variety of possibilities. This is close to what Michel Foucault proposed when he states that sexuality is an art, a creation of the human being that, therefore, can cover a wide range of possibilities 2 . Foucault agrees that sadomasochism understands these new possibilities of exercising pleasure, since for him, far from being an aggressive practice through which individuals discharge violence, it refers rather to creative production through eroticization of the body. To do this, they use unknown parts of their body, unusual practices, foreign objects, etc.
Finally, the approach to this phenomenon was carried out from Social Constructionism, an approach that places special emphasis on understanding the individual social experience through language, to generate a collective theory. It is about generating theory for social reconstruction. Similarly, this research sought precisely to understand the realities of a group of sadomasochistic subjects in relation to their environment and their subjective experience in order to generate a theory that brings together the common points, thus achieving a social reconstruction of the sadomasochistic experience. . From this point of view, what is taken into account as "reality", and considered as a fundamental truth about how man works, is a by-product of social construction 6 .
The basis taken into account in deciding constructionism as a paradigmatic approach was precisely the stigmatization and pathologization to which unconventional sexual identities and practices are exposed in western societies. Positivism would imply the connotation of deviation, the "out of the norm" condition that would translate into bias in the data. In this way, the invitation to the reader is to take the analysis and discussion of the findings presented beyond the normality-pathology dichotomy and delve into the experiences and meanings that these subjects express.
Methodology
This study took a qualitative research approach. The phenomenon of sadomasochism has been approached from different perspectives, for us the perspective of its own representatives and practitioners takes longer, since "the reality that matters is what people perceive as important" 7. Our interest was based on producing descriptive data derived from in-depth semi-structured interviews with the participants, so we tried to carry out an analysis as close to reality as possible. Taking advantage of virtuality, we write to more than 100 people on their social networks covering FetLife (social network for people with specific fetishes), Facebook and Twitter. With regard to these possible participants, we found first-hand hostile and suspicious responses, of all of whom we contacted few responded and fewer agreed to the terms of the interview, this mainly because they claimed that they wanted to protect their identity. However, there were participants who were more open, serving as gatekeepers to get others. These participants also recommended bibliography and even invited us to a bondage and shibari workshop that was held in Parque del Este (Caracas, Venezuela). It is important to note that we attended, they received us kindly, they introduced us to the other practitioners and explained different bondage techniques. This allowed us to share with them in their context and achieve greater depth in their experiences.
We used a case-type sampling, since we sought to obtain information about BDSM session the experiences, experiences and meanings of sadomasochists or BDSM practitioners. Likewise, a chain or network sampling was used, since some participants provided us with the contact to access others and to interview them. A theoretical sampling was carried out with the intention of guiding the data collection process under constant comparison with the emerging theory. In this case, the theory generated from the analysis of each interview determined the type of characteristics that we would look for in the next interviewee, such as sex, the role with which they identify within BDSM and sexual orientation.
On the other hand, our research has an emergent design in which the data was based mainly on anecdotes and life experiences. Along these same lines, because the design allows the research to adapt to the data provided, the objectives were rethought, changing the name of practitioners of sadomasochism to practitioners of BDSM session since they mean themselves in this way and in this way. the study more faithful to that community could be maintained. In addition, a projected design was used where we established a time limit of one year. In this way, we worked according to this time to complete the study, carrying out an analysis and writing the results without aspiring to complete a theory 8 .
In relation to the data analysis, the information obtained in each interview was analyzed before continuing with the next, thus respecting the emerging design. The method used was that constant comparisons reached an advanced level of axial coding. The core of where the other categories were defined were the experiences related to BDSM and from these four great dimensions emerged: construction of meanings associated with BDSM, "It is within your personality, within your identity, it is part of you", practices related to BDSM and BDSM within the Venezuelan and foreign context. Only the third dimension will be developed in this article.
Finally, we carried out different actions to ensure the quality and validity of this research, including: it was necessary for the researchers to process the data, each separately, in an equivalent way, and then submit the results for review; Additionally, an external audit was incorporated, which involved the review of the entire process by an expert to verify that it was properly carried out. We use structural corroboration, through which the emerging information is gathered and constant linkages and connections are made, in such a way that a structure whose basis is the same evidence was formed, and the data are "conceptually supported" 9. Likewise, we carried out the results of the analysis and the emerging theory with the same participants, to ensure that the interpretations made are close enough to the understanding of their experiences.
On the other hand, we seek a varied sample, including participants of different sexes, sexual orientation and seeking to cover the entire range of roles used in BDSM practices, so that there is a greater possibility that the study will be applied to others. contexts or samples.
Results
The term BDSM is the product of a social construction that encompasses various ways of relating sexually associated with sadomasochism, role-playing, and the exchange of power. Among these expressions we find the BDSM session sexual practices that are taken by those who consider themselves to be participants with particular premeditation and caution, that is to say that they are in no way carried out lightly and imply a prior agreement or consensus between the individuals involved.