The practice of swing and the dimension of pleasure

Abstract

The aim of this article is to reflect on issues related to sexual affective relationships between men and women in today's society from the experience of couples who practice swing. Particularly, I try to understand which dimensions of the experience would be involved in the swing fans' discourse about the pleasure they get from their practice. I try to analyze the different aspects that seem to be related when talking about pleasure for the supporters of the exchange of couples: fantasy, transgression, intensity and control. What sense do the interviewed couples give to your experience? How far does the quest for satisfying sexual fantasies go? Is there a limit to the intensification of pleasure? The reflection is based on the analysis of 13 interviews carried out with couples who practice swing between the years 2003 and 2007 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The notes resulting from participant observation carried out in nineteen weekly meetings of swinging couples, in a specialized house in the South Zone of Rio and another in the Center, are also sources of analysis.