Silver School of Social Work

Abusive relationships disguised as consensually sadomasochistic (D/s) relationships are a specific type of intimate partner violence (IPV), characterized by a lack of pleasure and the presence of enduring, permeating fear or discomfort on the part of the abused partner that is not confined to a consensual sexual encounter, and do not always occur in the direction of dominant to submissive or male to female partner. Though no research to date has been conducted on IPV in D/s relationships, a review of the literature on IPV in mainstream and sexual minority communities reveals salient commonalities related to the BDSM community. Additionally, there is often an intersectionality of stigmatization that can exponentially affect BDSM-oriented individuals who experience IPV. When consensual BDSM behaviours are conflated with IPV, it can be difficult for someone experiencing abuse within the context of a D/s relationship to seek and receive support from family, peers, health care providers, law enforcement, and society at large.

The experiencing of subspace (i.e., an altered psychological, emotional, and/or physiological state) is somewhat common among individuals who identify as masochists and submissives within the Bondage and Domination/Dominance and Submission/Sadism and Masochism (or Sadomasochism) (BDSM; Connolly, 2006) community. Because the BDSM community has been historically vilified due to stereotypes reinforced by negative media exposure and inadequate education (Langdridge, 2006), relatively little is known about the phenomenon of subspace outside of the BDSM community. The occurrence of subspace tends to be a highly sought-after experience in BDSM interactions (known colloquially as “scenes”), therefore it stands to reason that an exploration of the concept could provide clarity regarding the motivations of BDSM practitioners and the benefits they might receive through BDSM interactions. To this end, this article includes a review of social science literature on BDSM interactions with three goals in mind: 1) to discuss the overarching commonalities that exist within the widely varying realm of BDSM interactions and activities; 2) to gain an understanding of the psychological and cognitive shifts (i.e., subspace) that some submissive BDSM practitioners experience during BDSM interactions; and 3) to explore the potential benefits of subspace that may be derived during consensual BDSM interactions. From an analysis of the literature, I conclude that achieving subspace during consensual BDSM interactions might result in a reduction of physical and emotional stress in the submissive partner, as well as heightened intimacy between participants.

At the intersection of psychology and critical theories, graduate students in psychology are uniquely situated to analyze the pedagogical assumptions and practices that shape constructions of gender normativity in the field. Writing from the perspective of current students, we examine how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text-Revision's (DSM-IV-TR) work group members represent gender in their own publications. In line with previous criticisms, we suggest that many of the work group members uphold traditional binary systems; perpetuate statistical reinforcement and social loops; and pathologize (or deem developmentally lagging) gender diverse behavior. We question whether the DSM-IV-TR has been revised by diverse voices and make recommendations on how graduate-level curricula might broaden its pedagogy to include more fluid and inclusive concepts of gender expression.

Research with hundreds of mostly indigenous Maya workers in the export processing plants (maquilas) of highland Guatemala has revealed a disconnect between working conditions in the factories, perceived rights, national and international labor laws, and law enforcement. Because of this disjunction, efforts to address the plight of workers must engage the complex conditions of the current labor regimes. Maquilas operate in contexts that are virtually exempt from regulation and conflate national and global orders, precluding a clear perspective on issues of rights and legal claims. In the new geographies of power, workers in transnational factories fall into the interstices between state and nonstate spaces and lose their rights and entitlements in the process.

As the poor in Latin American cities continue to struggle, there has been interest in the role of non-government organizations (NGOs) in addressing their difficult circumstances. This article examines the lives of residents in two peripheral urban neighborhoods of Guatemala City. The hardships posed by urban poverty are documented with a particular focus on women as they struggle to meet their families' needs. The experiences of women in a unique, woman-centered association are described and compared with women in communities without such associations. The goals of the analysis are (1) to provide an appreciation of the nature and evolution of precarious settlements in Guatemala City, and (2) to consider the role of NGOs in addressing the challenges women face in such settlements. One association (UPAVIM) is described that has addressed these needs through job training and employment while simultaneously providing child care and educational opportunities for children. Emphasis is given to the role of the critical middle sector in offering opportunities to the most marginalized groups. [Non-government organizations, urban poverty, women and poverty, Guatemala City]

The peasant markets of the western highlands of Guatemala present a field of public solidarity and constitute sources of sociocultural information. The information is expressed in the specific physical arrangements and in the types of interactions carried out in each context. The open, quasi festive plaza presents one model of and for behavior that corresponds to the traditional Indian conceptual framework, the public reunion strengthens the group solidarity and serves as a barrier against external aggression. The compartmentalized enclosed market, instead, follows and serves as a model which corresponds to Ladino conceptual guidelines, one which emphasizes the power of the product over the ethnic category as an organizational parameter. The traditional open plaza constitutes a communitas-type framework where multiple interactions are peacefully conducted and the 'Other' is identified through the practice of bargaining.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . In a recent review of labor organizing in Latin America, Henry Frundt (2002) has noted that large unions have been losing membership whereas smaller or independent ones have been growing. A World Bank study on the impact of unions in Latin America reports that participation in unions in Guatemala is very limited, with union members representing about 5 percent of all workers (Acefia, 2002).' The International Labor Organization (ILO) in Guatemala has noted considerable labor-code noncompliance, including human rights violations, repression and persecution of labor leaders, violations of the rights to organize and to strike, and failure to provide end-of-year bonuses and severance payments. In 1992, at the request of labor organizers, unions, and human rights groups, the United States placed Guatemala on probation within the U.S. General System of Preferences (GSP). (It was taken off probation in 1997.) In 2001 the ILO requested changes in the labor code and enforcement of existing regulations. Nine of 40 changes proposed by labor, focusing on labor rights, the right to strike, and the organization and accounting of unions, were approved by the Guatemalan congress. An agreement was reached out of fear that Guatemala would be completely excluded from the GSP. In the same year the ILO lifted sanctions against Guatemala after the Ministry of Labor agreed to enforce labor codes and replace lax inspections with more reliable controls.