CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2017
| Author | Aitken, Cameron George |
|---|---|
| Title | Online Friendship or Sex in Ottawa: A digital Ethnography of Grindr and Scruff |
| Summary | From physical cruising in the 20th century to digital cruising dominating the 21st century, Grindr & Scruff will be situated within a shift of MSM communities primarily soliciting sex online. Beginning gradually with a slew of online forums ranging from the initial chatrooms of AOL and gay.com, to the confidential sections on craigslist, before finally specialized websites emerged. Grindr further commodifies gay male sexuality and the act of cruising, enabling privileged users to continue in their everyday lives and hook-up with new partners whenever it suits. Scruff is further specialized and allows for users to choose their location, enabling potential voyeurism. Commodification occurs somewhat willingly, as users construct their profiles however the discourse exists before this engagement meaning not everyone will have the same Fuckability. User uploaded pictures are the first point of contact, alongside a nickname and age. From this first point of contact onwards, prospective partners will likely choose to: view the rest of your biographic information, block/friend, or send an an-app message. This thesis will draw on existing works that have explored Grindr, hegemonic masculinity, and cultures of cruising within MSM communities. Next, I will turn to my research to understand the experiences of respondents from 16 interviews, including their user profiles, focusing on the Ottawa Valley and themes of masculinity and community. I will argue that hegemonic masculinity and homonormativity, manifest within in-app discourses and the technical considerations of Grindr and Scurf favor certain usages and users. When users are seeking social or romantic relationships or non-normative sexual acts, they are effectively failing the intended purpose of the application and discourse. Further, if you are not considered fuckable within western notions of homonormativity and hegemonic masculinity therein lies greater potential failure. This inquiry will add to existing debates surrounding Grindr which question if the application furthers community, or creates further divisions. My intentions are to explore the potential for resistance within a discourse dominated with homonormative masculinity, using the four themes of the physical body, race, sexual practices, and private & public. |
| Supervisor | Eszter TImar |
| Department | Gender Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2017/aitken_cameron.pdf |
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