Nudism as a Deviant Subculture free essay sample

Nudism is a social and sexual phenomenon in America that has been gaining a significant following since the early sasss. This phenomenon was first introduced to American culture by a German immigrant named Kurt Farther. (Hartman, Fitting and Johnson 1991) Since then, nudism has expanded to all parts of the country. From nude beaches and resorts to nudist camps, many are starting to partake in this liberating way Of life. Despite the many followers of the nudist movement, many would classify nudists as a deviant picture.Fischer (1995) defines a subculture as, . .. A large set of people who share a defining trait, associate with one another, are members of institutions associated with their defining trait, adhere to a distinct set of values, share a set of cultural tools and take part in a common way of life. A deviant subculture is a group that doesnt necessarily conform to the normal set of values in a society. We will write a custom essay sample on Nudism as a Deviant Subculture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These groups are usually socially disapproved of by the larger population. Throughout this paper we will be analyzing the sub- cultural theory of deviance.Nudism can be defined as going without clothes as a social practice. (Smith 1980). In an attempt to understand the deviant subculture of nudism we will take an in depth look at the historical background, social and cultural influences on becoming a nudist, the effects of being involved in the nudist movement and ethical standards within the nudist culture. Also, we will take a look at non-nudist reactions to this deviant sub-culture. Ultimately, this paper will answer the question: What are the social and cultural benefits to involvement in the deviant subculture of nudism?Historical Background In the historical area, there were less social and moral issues involved with nudity during the Classical period. In ancient Greece the human body was viewed as beautiful and was the subject of art. Athletes were often nude when they competed in events against each other. (Weinberg 1 965) Although the first nudist colonies were established in British India in 1 891 , it was in Germany that the naturism movement really began. In the early 1 sass several papers were published that advocated the idea that the human body was not sinful or obscene.The first nudist colonies were opened in Germany around 1903, and grew into popularity during the sasss. The Germans seemed to be the pioneers of the Naturism movement. In the 1 asss Germans vacationing along the Mediterranean coast in France began nudist colonies, and nudist beaches and nudist resorts grew in popularity there. The movement came to North America in 1929 when a German immigrant named Kurt Farther opened a colony in the United States. In the early days of the movement in America, nudism became associated with family values and alcohol was prohibited from all activities. Hartman et al. 1991 ) Despite the attempt to associate high moral standards with the nudism movement it was subjected to harassment and misunderstanding due to the fact that America saw nudism as a sexual and even pornographic activity. Over the past three decades this largely changed. Nudist vacations became more common, and nudism lost some of its social stigma. Nudism became less restrictive as well and clothing optional gatherings became more common.