Sado or Maso?

Sado-masochism is considered to be a type of activity that exhibits pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering and humiliation of another on the one hand, and deriving gratification from one’s own pain and humiliation on the other. Yet sado-maso is not merely an opposing position of “normative” male and female behaviors, it is also a male personality structure. Psychoanalysis identifies such conduct as one of a perversion, but not in the normative cultural sense. Rather it defines the psychic structure of perversion (unlike the neurotic or the psychotic, and even the schizoid) as a unique construct of inhibiting in the world.

In this seminar we will study expressions of sadomasochism in literature and visual arts. We will read a few stories by the Marquis de Sade and Masoch, watch together a couple of films, and examine artistic expression (such as works by Bacon, Freud, Pane, Abramovic, Sherman, Opie and more). We will read’ Freud’s essay on sadism and several essays that respond to his understanding. We will ask ourselves whether sado-maso is a normative perversion, a psychic structure or a unique attempt to transform social norms. In other words, we will examine the phenomenon of  perversion.