Get involved with Caroline Ryan’s PhD project

Caroline Ryan PhD DCU

Here at the Siopa, we love to encourage education through open and frank discussions about sex. We hope that by doing this, we can help push Ireland to becoming a more sex positive country. Caroline Ryan is a PhD Student and researcher at DCU whose focus is on sexuality, pornography and feminism, and more specifically how feminist theory interprets the subjective experiences of female porn stars.  As part of her PhD, she is organising an ongoing photo project and needs volunteers from across the world to create and share images that represent their sexuality. 

 

 

Here’s Caroline:

“This project involves a photo and a small paragraph explain why you choose this photo and how it represents your sexuality for you. You can take the photo, or be featured in it - as long as you have the photographer’s permission to use it. You don’t even have to be in the photo - you could take a picture of your favourite underwear, toy, or place, or something that represents a positive, or negative experience of your sexuality. You could take a photo that represents your relationship status, and write about how your experience your sexuality in a relationship, or as a single person, or in a poly set up. If you are a virgin, you could represent this, or if you have been the victim of abuse, you could talk about how this has impacted your sexuality. You can choose to have your face showing or not, if you are in the photo.

This is not a pornography venture so you do not have to show your genitals, or even be nude.  For example, someone will be taking a photo of their feet entwined with their lovers feet, and they are writing about how snuggling after sex is very important as a bonding exercise for them with their partner, and how that makes them feel. Please do not include any other people in the photo unless it is a joint submission and all subjects’ details are also given and have contacted me also. This is to ensure all photos consist of consenting adults.

To build up a picture of how sexuality can be experienced differently, I would also appreciate the following information: Your age, identified gender, and country. You can choose to include your name or not.

There is no right or wrong contribution - it is YOUR story of YOUR sexuality. However in saying this, any confirmed or suspected images of children under 18 will not be featured and will be reported to the relevant police force. You can represent an experience you have had as a minor if it has affected your sexuality, but do not feature any actual people under 18.

This will be an ongoing project and your contribution will feature on my website which will be launched shortly. If you wish to give consent, the contributions could be used as data in my further research projects on sexuality.

Please send your photo, paragraph, and accompanying details to the.open.drawer@gmail.com. Please also indicate if you give consent to your submission being used in any potential further research projects conducted by myself.

Many thanks! For full details or if you have any questions, you can find me on facebook, twitter (@car_ireland) or by email at open.your.drawer@gmail.com

-Caroline