Date of Award

5-12-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Mass Communications

Advisor(s)

Carol Liebler

Keywords

Asexuality;Digital Media;Podcasting;Representation;Social Media

Subject Categories

Communication | Mass Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Asexuality is a growing topic of sexuality and media scholarship as representations and expressions of asexual identity have seen a small but significant rise in traditional and digital media throughout the 21st century. However, much of the existing media and scholarship has focused on the definition and self-identification of asexuality. This emphasis has lead to a research gap in the consideration of asexual social identity and its expression in media spaces. To address this gap, this textual analysis study examined the content and social media fan reception of the asexual conversation and interview podcast Sounds Fake But Okay through the theoretical lenses of social identity theory, positionality, and intersectionality. This study found several themes of asexual social identity: self-discovery narratives about identifying with asexuality, relevant comparisons with the non-asexual (“allosexual”) outgroup, a recognition of the limitations of “lack” as a central concept of asexual identity, and an expression of the unique social position, reaction to cultural norms, and critical possibilities of asexuality. Common throughout these themes is a unique asexual approach to the identification and naming of culturally invisible assumptions and experiences of sexual identity and social identity. In considering asexuality and intersectionality, gender was found to be a crucial consideration, but the shaping influence of race, class, and disability on asexuality were found to be still-existing unexamined invisibilities.

Access

Open Access

Download

Share

COinS