Identity and Competence: The Use of Culture in the Interpretation of Sexual Images

Cultural sociology agrees that meanings attributed to objects vary depending upon the cultural competencies of viewers, but tends to ignore the role of identities in interpretation. This article argues that both identities and competencies influence interpretation. Through an analysis of how 307 undergraduate students at a Midwestern state university interpreted a black-and-white photograph of an individual masturbating, this article finds that assessments of the degree to which the image should be considered art and/or pornography are associated with self-reported indicators of both cultural competencies and identities. Indicators of religious and conventional identities and of training with regard to photography stand out in this regard. The intersection of the constructions of pornography and art enabled the authors to classify participants as Nonartistic Conservatives, Nonartistic Liberals, Artistic Liberals, and Artistic Conservatives and to show that interpretations are a consequence of how persons are simultaneously situated in relation to both moral and aesthetic criteria.