The study included data sets from around 420 female participants. The majority of respondents were heterosexual women in stable relationships with an above-average level of education. They described themselves as being enthusiastic frequent readers who enjoyed sharing their reading experiences with others. Most of the study participants were between 20 and 40 years old.
‘Reading erotic novels is reported as a diversion, and feelings of ease and relaxation a motivating factor by many readers. This demonstrates the readership and motivations for reading that underlie a major contemporary cultural phenomenon.’
The majority of respondents indicated that they read erotic novels as a diversion, and feelings of ease and relaxation were frequently named as a motivating factor. The sexual explicitness of the novels and their potential to provide orientation in readers’ own lives also played a role for the participants, although this role was less significant than had been assumed in previous studies. Readers’ opinions about erotic novels also came as a surprise, by contrast with more general critical ideas about contemporary erotica.
“Many of the study participants saw erotic novels – at least in part – as being emancipated, feminist, and progressive. We attribute this finding primarily to the respondents’ more traditional views of male and female gender roles,” explains lead author Maria Kraxenberger.
This study is the first to investigate empirically the readership and motivations for reading that underlie a major contemporary cultural phenomenon. Although readers of erotica have a significant impact on the international book market, the mainstream conversation about literature and reading is still reserved for “serious” readers of “good,” if less popular, kinds of books. The study’s findings underscore the need for more research that explores reading experiences outside the canon of serious literature.
Source: Medindia
