How do women make sense of their experiences with pornography? A thematic analysis

Abstract

While pornography is increasingly widespread and accessible, women’s experiences with or views about it are seldom recognised or investigated. In this paper we explore how women make sense of their experiences with pornography. The analysis is based on data collected through qualitative questionnaires completed by 31 women. The data were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis within a critical realist framework resulting in three key themes focusing on (1) contextualised experiences of porn, (2) female body norms and (3) gender power relations in porn. Our analysis illustrates some of the complexities in women’s experiences of and perspectives on porn and, we argue, indicates a need to view these experiences in the contexts of wider cultural ideologies of sex and gender.