Abstract
This book is a detailed study of a historical phenomenon: group sex. ‘Group sex … is erotic or sexual activity that implicates more than two people and consists of various possible configurations of participants and observers’ (p. 15). Group sex has been a taboo throughout cultures, societies and religions, yet it persistently survived throughout history. It ‘was depicted in Paleolithic cave art. The ancient Romans are known as much for their orgies as for their aqueducts and bridges. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra supposedly had sex with more than one hundred men in a night’ (p. 3). And in modern times it is still a common practice as it was in the ancient times; ‘contemporary sex parties take place in trailer parks, private mansions in suburbs, converted warehouses, and luxury hotels from Las Vegas to Venice’ (p. 3). In the West, from the inception of philosophical thinking on sex it has been one of the controversial themes. Plato for example in two major works, Symposium and Republic discusses ‘eros’ and the politics of marriage in detail and depth leading to the communism of wives and husbands and children in his utopian society suggesting a kind of social ‘group sex’ on periodical social festivals. And in modern philosophy and psychology, the subject of sex and group sex has been intensely discussed. Most notably, Freud, Lacan and Foucault provided us with the theoretical ground to understand the phenomena of sex and group sex.
Group sex or orgies are meaningful social acts to achieve political, social or personal ends, and need to be understood theoretically. The book provides us with a fascinating theoretical and intellectual study on the subject. Frank deploys ethnographical methodology, surveys, in depth and participant interviews, philosophical and sociological analysis, newspapers and official reports etc. to discuss the phenomenon of group sex and indeed she has done it brilliantly. ‘This book offers a cross-cultural look at some of the manifestations and meanings of group sex: who has it, how they do it and why.’ (p. 3) and in so doing, Frank goes beyond conventions and provides a fascinating detailed study on the subject such as ‘the link between spirituality and group sex’ (p. 4) or the old Christianity that has been accused for crimes such as orgies, ‘drinking blood and worshipping the genitals of their priests’ (p. 5) in secret drunken orgy parties.
The book is mainly based around a few main questions: why does group sex exist? And despite being a taboo and in most of the societies being criminalized, why is it so persistent throughout history? And what were the reactions against it in history in different cultures? How did it manifest itself in the past and how does it do so in contemporary societies? And what are the reasons that people of different groups from different backgrounds, culture, age and gender participate in group sex, despite it being forbidden in most of the societies throughout history? These questions and many more are what the book attempts to answer and discuss. Katherine Frank makes a scholarly and bold in-depth study on this subject, though, despite all the fascinating details on the subject, she is just ‘shouting out the tip of an iceberg’ (p. 19).
The book has 10 chapters, an acknowledgement and a lengthy 30 pages of helpful notes, 26 pages of bibliography and a 6-page index at the end. The book has 406 pages.
Chapter 1 is a general introduction to the subject and its history from ancient times to the present providing evidence of the existence of orgies in almost all known cultures and societies emphasizing that ‘orgies aren’t just for Romans’ (p. 7). The chapter introduces the general methodology and the theoretical framework of the book as well as the basic assumptions that the book is formed upon and the strategy that is used in writing the book. It ‘begins with the symbolism of “orgies,” looking at historical accounts, art, and literature, from the ruins of Pompeii to the beaches of Tahiti, and then moves on to examine group sex practices around the globe’ (p. 9). Chapter 1 is essential to reading the book and understanding the structure of the text.
Frank then moves on to discuss and explore the concept of group sex and orgies looking at stories, historical or otherwise, about orgies to see ‘what precisely is at stake … what do orgy stories mean? Who tells them and why?’ (p. 23). The chapter finishes with a brief take on Freud and Foucault, feminism and the ‘relationship between sexuality and society …-“resistance”, “identity”, “self”, “agency” and “desire” (p. 55).
‘People …-learn how to act at orgies’ (p. 61). Group sex parties are not senseless and chaotic. Group sex is surely transgressive but it is never random or senseless; the environment in group sex parties ‘must make sense to participants’ (p. 61). Chapter 3 ‘explores the ways that orgies actually unfold … what could be called the social organization of group sex’ (p. 59). Frank explains the meaning of the concept used to describe sexual behaviours, or various sexual actions at orgies; such as swinging, BDSM (bondage domination sadism masochism), etc. She explores the ‘different social order’ (p. 83) at orgies. She is looking for meaning in social actions where they seem to be meaningless. Group sex is meaningful; people have group sex ‘to achieve personal and social ends, from enhancing arousal to creating community bonds’ (p. 84).
She then discusses the psychological ‘affects’ of sexual encounter; guilt, shame and disgust. The sexual act involves boundary crossing – both boundaries of the body and the boundaries of the self. Because sex, by its nature is an intimate encounter between bodies, feelings and senses of disgust and shame and guilt come into the story, not as merely moral senses, but culturally and individually. The chapter goes further and discusses the gang rapes and forced sex and the sense of shame and guilt and disgust as the result of forced sex, which again varies from culture to culture.
Dark Orgies is the title of a section placed before Chapter 5 which is a case study about a tribe, called Marind-anim, that live in the southern coast of New Guinea. It is an anthropological study of a complex and isolated society. The chapter relies on reports provided by a Dutch governor of Guinea, Jan Van Baal in 1950s. The section explores the phenomenon of group sex in the tribe and how the settlers reacted to the ‘traditions’ of the tribe and imposed new rules on them regarding their sexual habits and ‘traditions’ (p. 113). The section discusses both sides of the arguments as to whether the new rules imposed on the tribe by the colonialist were positive or negative. Frank leans on the negative side.
‘What makes someone choose an orgy?’ (p. 165). Chapter 5 explores the psychological drives for group sex. Humans, like animals (p. 141) lose sexual interest in he/she whom we call a partner. This phenomenon is called ‘habituation’ and ‘it refers to the loss of sexual interest in individuals with whom one has previously engaged in sexual behaviour’ (p. 140). Group sex, for those who suffer habituation, could be a cure, a source of pleasure or arousal. This chapter seeks for the various reasons and motivations that people choose to go on orgies.
Chapter 6 describe the reasons and forms of orgies people choose to go to; from a merely experimental motivation, as an adventure or as play, and the role of the ‘parties’ in manifesting those reasons for group sex parties and orgies.
Group sex and orgies are structured and meaningful social ‘actions’, they respond to ‘social needs’ such as a sense of belonging, a manifestation of social and perhaps political status, and social and political (and personal) identity and affirmation. Group sex and orgies ‘bond’ individuals or groups to certain social and political groups and status. Chapter 7 explores the socio-political bonds manifested in orgies. Group sex is about a ‘community’ and sense of belonging and identity (p. 235). Group sex, then, could manifest itself in a political sphere. Historians argue that group sex had a vital role in the liberation movement in the 20th century. Frank mentions the recent Iranian ‘sexual or sociocultural revolution’ (p. 256). She, paraphrasing Pardis Mahdavi, an Iranian-American anthropologist’s quotation shows how political and social change, progress, cosmopolitanism, ‘process of globalization’ (p. 259) and modernity is being linked to sex.
Sexual behaviour could be a response to a situation such as depression. Dogging, for example, is an addictive sexual adventure with which one is looking to satisfy him- or herself in a different form. The sense of mystery, thrill and excitement drives individuals to pursue different forms of sexual adventure. In Chapter 9, Frank tries to make sense of some of the socially unacceptable sexual behaviour by re-reading reports, autobiographies, newspapers and other documents.
And finally, Frank discusses the psychological affect of orgies in detail in Chapter 10. We should not put so many of our hopes in sex nor our fears in sex. Sex is not the answer to everything.
The book is a fascinating read. It is not only academically a rich text, but also an enjoyable, informative and exciting book to read. Each chapter is a combination of anthropological, psychological and sociological analysis, reports and interviews with philosophical hints from time to time. A very positive point is that Frank finishes each chapter with a couple of interesting and sharp questions. The questions lead you to the next chapter’s subjects and make you curious and excited to follow the text. But also it makes you think and rethink about that which has been discussed previously. The book is intellectually remarkable and Frank shows herself to be a knowledgeable, open minded, curious and sharp scholar. I think her lesser engagement with philosophical language has made her book more sensible and readable. The book increases our understanding of a socially and culturally tabooed subject and it makes the book very valuable. Reading this book was an absolute pleasure and it should be recommended to students and scholars alike to have as a reliable source on the subject.