Seduction : female power or degradation? : exploring the reasons behind women's seductive attitudes

Abstract

"Women subordinate their true feelings, cultivate sex appeal, aspire to meet beauty standards and even fake orgasms - anything to catch a man" (Stimpson &Person, 1981 ). Such apparent submission is just one facet of seduction. On the other end of the spectrum lies the hypothesis of seduction as being a tool by which women can exercise power over men. By conducting focus groups, this qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of men and women on seductive behaviour in females. These group interviews provided the basis for the nine reasons behind women's seductive attitudes, extracted through thematic analysis. Within the converging streams of sensual femininity, feminist overtones and, power and degradation, the research showed that younger women think more of seduction as power, whilst the older women tend to emphasise the implications of seduction on a woman's worth. Both older and younger male groups acknowledge the existence of such seductive powers, which they admit falling victims of.