fetishism

fetishism
fetishist, n.fetishistic, adj.fetishistically, adv.
/fet"i shiz'euhm, fee"ti-/, n.
1. belief in or use of fetishes.
2. Psychiatry. the compulsive use of some object, or part of the body, as a stimulus in the course of attaining sexual gratification, as a shoe, a lock of hair, or underclothes.
3. blind devotion: a fetishism of sacrifice to one's children.
Also, fetichism.
[1795-1805; FETISH + -ISM]

* * *

In psychology, erotic attachment to an inanimate object or a nongenital body part whose real or fantasized presence is necessary for sexual gratification.

The object is most commonly some other body part or an article of clothing. From the time of its identification by Sigmund Freud in 1927, fetishism was thought to occur almost exclusively among men, but in the late 20th century that notion was challenged by several new studies. See also fetish.

* * *

      in psychology, a form of sexual deviance involving erotic attachment to an inanimate object or an ordinarily asexual part of the human body.

      The term fetishism was actually borrowed from anthropological writings in which “fetish” (also spelled fetich) referred to a charm thought to contain magical or spiritual powers. Its influence on psychiatric usage is indicated by Sigmund Freud's reference, in his Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex, to the sexual object of the fetishist as being comparable to “the fetich in which the savage sees the embodiment of his god.”

      Fetishism as a mental condition may be defined as the necessity to use a nongenital object in order to achieve sexual gratification. The object may be some other body part, an article of clothing, or, less frequently, some more impersonal object. The condition occurs almost exclusively among men, and most of the objects used relate to the female body or female clothing. Long hair or the foot may be the primary object of sexual attention; cases in which a certain hair colour or type of body blemish is required for sexual stimulation are also generally classified as fetishism. The articles of clothing most commonly used are shoes and items of female underclothes. Olfactory sensations are also frequently important.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fetishism — • The word fetish is derived through the Portuguese feitiço from the Latin factitius (facere, to do, or to make), signifying made by art, artificial (cf. Old English fetys in Chaucer) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Fetishism      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • fetishism — 1801, worship of fetishes; in the purely psycho sexual sense first recorded 1897 in writings of Henry Havelock Ellis (1859 1939), from FETISH (Cf. fetish) + ISM (Cf. ism). In certain perversions of the sexual instinct, the person, part of the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • fetishism — [fet′ishiz΄əm, fēt′ishiz΄əm] n. [Fr fétichisme] 1. worship of or belief in fetishes 2. Psychiatry an abnormal condition in which erotic feelings are excited by a nonsexual object, as a foot, glove, etc.: Also sp. fetichism fetishist n.… …   English World dictionary

  • Fetishism — This article concerns the concept of fetishism in anthropology. For other uses see Fetish (disambiguation). A fetish (from French fétiche ; from Portuguese feitiço ; from Latin facticius , artificial and facere , to make ) is an object believed… …   Wikipedia

  • Fetishism — fetichism fe tich*ism, Fetishism Fe tish*ism (? or ?); 277), n.[Cf. F. f[ e]tichisme.] [Written also {feticism}.] 1. The doctrine or practice of belief in fetiches. [1913 Webster] 2. Excessive devotion to one object or one idea; abject… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fetishism — Fetish Fe tish, n., Fetishism Fe tish*ism (? or ?; 277), n., Fetishistic Fe tish*is tic, a. See {Fetich}, n., {Fetichism}, n., {Fetichistic}, a. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fetishism — [[t]fe̱tɪʃɪzəm[/t]] N UNCOUNT Fetishism involves a person having a strong liking or need for a particular object or activity which gives them sexual pleasure and excitement …   English dictionary

  • fetishism — fetish ► NOUN 1) an inanimate object worshipped for its supposed magical powers. 2) a form of sexual desire in which gratification is focused abnormally on an object, part of the body, or activity. 3) a course of action to which one has an… …   English terms dictionary

  • Fetishism of the Commodity —    In his analysis of capitalism in Capital Karl Marx introduces his notion of the fetishism of the commodity. Drawing an analogy with religious fetishes where a power is falsely attributed to an object, Marx argues that in capitalism the… …   Historical dictionary of Marxism

  • fetishism of commodities — See commodity fetishism …   Dictionary of sociology

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”