Sex Clubs

This book explores the hidden world of sex clubs. These are not strip clubs, lap dancing clubs, or brothels; these are clubs that men and women visit to have no strings attached sex. Each year sex clubs, traditionally called swingers clubs, are visited by over one million people in the UK. Using social and cultural theory, the author explores the cultures of desire through themes such as erotic hierarchies, atmospheres and power, women and sexual fantasies, men, masculinity and non-consent, hypersexualized black bodies, heterosexuality and queer heteroeroticism and trans desires. From cuckolding to group sex, bareback sex to intergenerational sex, partner swapping and threesomes to BDSM and fetish nights, sex clubs host a diverse range of sexual encounters that are part of a growing trend of recreational sex. Despite there being over 40 clubs in the UK alone, we continue to know very little about who is visiting the club, why they go there and what people do. This book—drawing upon ethnographies, interviews and large-scale quantitative data—is one of the first in the field to systematically collect and critically interrogate sex clubs and their erotic encounters. This will not only be the first sustained social and cultural analysis of sex clubs themselves, but it also aims to lure the reader into the club through discussions of ethnographic encounters, enabling them to experience the unique dynamics of sex clubs and their cultures of desire. Chris Haywood is a Reader in Critical Masculinity Studies at Newcastle University, UK. His work focuses on exploring gender and sexuality and the limits of identity. His previous work includes Men, Masculinity and Contemporary Dating (Palgrave) and co-author on The Conundrum of Masculinity (Routledge).