Stigma and the Shaping of the Pornography Industry

The idea of ‘pornography’ is often employed to invoke titillation, anger, and disgust. Stigma and the Shaping of the Pornography Industry explores the effects that this stigmatized identity has on the pornography industry itself. From the video era to the emergence of the internet, to trade shows, white-collar workers, technological innovation, and industry-wide characteristics, this book looks beyond content production to explore how stigma has shaped the structures, practices, norms, and boundaries of the wider sector. By drawing on concepts such as dirty work, core-stigmatized industries, and outlaw innovation, this book offers rich insights into the ways in which stigma is socially constructed and managed, and the deep structural effects that it has on the industry.

1. Introduction - Stigma, sexuality, and industry dynamics 2. An Institutional History of Pornography 3. Identities, Opportunities, and White Collar Jobs 4. Constructing the Mainstream, Leveraging Deviance 5. Trade Shows, Trust, and Sense-making 6. Technologies, Services, and Infrastructures 7. The Global Market 8. A Core-Stigmatized Industry?

Georgina Voss was awarded her PhD in Science and Technology Policy by SPRU, University of Sussex, where she is a Visiting Fellow. Her focus is interdisciplinary, bringing together social studies of science, technology and innovation; cultural sociology; and design studies to examine: grassroots, user-led, and non-market innovation; social norms and labour practices in creative, cultural and high-risk industries; and gender and sexuality.