Pleasure Activism: Designing for Women’s Masturbation
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Hua, Dianya Mia
- Graduate Program:
- Informatics
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 26, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Dongwon Lee, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies
Yubo Kou, Major Field Member
Eli Blevis, Special Member
Karen Keifer-Boyd, Outside Unit & Field Member
Xinning Gui, Major Field Member
Shaowen Bardzell, Chair & Dissertation Advisor - Keywords:
- Pleasure Activism
Human Sexuality
Women's Masturbation
Interaction Design
Design History
Human-computer Interaction - Abstract:
- With the shift towards bodily, somatic, and lived experiences, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has explored various aspects of human sexuality, including intimacy, sexual health and well-being, sex education, consent, sexuality and aging, to name a few. However, sexual pleasure, a crucial element of human sexuality, remains largely overlooked. Sexual pleasure is not just a bodily experience; it is deeply influenced by cultural norms, social relations, and power dynamics. As Foucault states, “Pleasure and power do not cancel or turn back against one another; they seek out, overlap, and reinforce one another” (Foucault, 1990:48). Women’s masturbation exemplifies this intersection. Historically, women’s sexuality has been framed for reproduction or men’s pleasure (Brown, 2014). As a form of solitary, non-reproductive sexuality, women’s masturbation has been stigmatized as a cause of insanity and disease (McClelland & Fine, 2008; Cameron & Kulick, 2003). It was not until the 1960s that the women’s movement advocated masturbation as a significant source of sexual pleasure, a political act, and a declaration of sexual independence for women (Comella, 2017; Lieberman, 2017). In this context, vibrators emerged as symbolic, political tools of pleasure for women. This dissertation aims to establish the agenda of pleasure-activist design within sexuality studies in HCI and explore methods for designing technology that support sexual pleasure for political and social change. Using women’s masturbation as a focal point, the research presents three research-creation acts. Each act draws on feminist art/design history, practices of women artists, and feminist art education. These acts address questions about the evolution and diversification of vibrator design, the impact of corporeality on women's masturbation, and the diverse experiences of women’s masturbation in socio-cultural contexts. A significant portion of the research is dedicated to a design history of vibrators from the 1900s to the 2000s, challenging widespread myths about vibrators. This historical analysis places vibrator design within medical, legal, aesthetic, political, and social frameworks. It underscores the importance of design history in HCI and interaction design, highlighting the entanglement of technology, social relations, and power dynamics in society. Furthermore, this dissertation proposes a pleasure-activist design framework that includes critical reflection on the use of the body. It also emphasizes a decolonial strategy that challenges power dynamics between researchers and participants, fosters reciprocal relationships, and creates space for multiple voices. The methodological insights provided in this dissertation foreground the historical contexts, power dynamics, corporeality, and socio-cultural influences of pleasure.