Anatomy of Masochism (The Springer Series in Social Clinical Psychology) [Hardcover]

June Rathbone (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0306465930 | ISBN-13: 978-0306465932 | Publication Date: November 1, 2001 | Edition: 1

Are dominance and submission inevitable in human relationships? Believing that sadomasochism is becoming an ever more obtrusive phenomenon in developed countries, the author surveyed 48 self-declared sadomasochists (43 male, 5 female) and 35 controls (26 male, 9 female) in an effort to elicit information on early family relationships, morale, and sexual behavior and fantasy; she also looks at the philosophy of masochism and its damaging effects.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306465930
• ISBN-13: 978-0306465932
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,446,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Has academic psychology really not moved beyond this?, November 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Anatomy of Masochism (The Springer Series in Social Clinical Psychology) (Hardcover)

Ugh! I don't normally review books just to slag them off, but I've heard people express interest in reading this book because of the title, so I feel it's practically my civic duty to save them from a repeat of the nasty encounter I just had in the University of London library.
It manages to discredit itself most impressively from the very first sentence: "When a `love' relationship is not loving it is usually sadomasochistic' - no, professor, that's a dysfunctional relationship, the presence or otherwise of kinky practice is neither here nor there. And the performance continues for 300 pages until the closing twee homily: "In this vale of tears, where the only certainty for the individual is death, preceded or not, as the case may be, by old age and infirmity, where one species can only survive by feeding on another, the deliberate pursuit of suffering would seem gratuitous." Just as well "sadomasochists" (a highly controversial term in itself) seek not "suffering" (again, unforgiveably sloppy use of terminology) but mental, spiritual and emotional development, through a process in which physical pain is one element.
For all I know (I'm a literary critic rather than a clinical psychologist by training) this book is a brilliant and thorough manipulation of statistics and theory, but it is not ultimately about sadomasochists or even about human beings, it is about theory, and even more about the binary fantasies in the author's head, where nice is nice and nasty must be cured.
By all means use this book if you are a clinician or researcher looking for specific statistical data, as there is plenty of that. But do human dignity a favour and steer clear of the author's interpretation of her own findings. To anyone with an understanding of psychology as it is _lived_, not just as it is written, this book is simply laughable.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bigoted and disempowering, May 16, 2008

By 

Water Sun "Water Sun" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of Masochism (The Springer Series in Social Clinical Psychology) (Hardcover)

I find serious scientific problems with this book, and moreover the authors aggressive disenfranchisement of BDSM. Her framing of masochism is encapsulated in the legacy of antiquated theory, with seemingly no appreciation for the empancipatory science that created mental health reform around gay/lesbian identity. There is a lot written, both before and after, that offer a much more balanced and empowering view of BDSM. Her closing paragraph borders on sexual harassment...she reads like a bitter second wave feminist, too rigid to share diverse sexual voice and join the third wave. Not recommended, other than as an example of the stigma that still exists against BDSM within academia.