Researching Porn: Limitations

Some limitations to researching pornography in Latin America:

• No previous literature available: No one in the US has studied the development or characteristics of Latin American pornography.
• Distance from the region: I am not within the region to conduct research. Most resources require a great effort to find (i.e. articles on pornography - go into most prominent university websites and see what research has been done and if there is something that could relate to mine).
• Lack of study within the region: Little has been published on pornography. There is more material on historical account of erotic literature by some latin american authors, and some reflections on past films containing nude and "pornographic" content, yet there is no historical account of pornography as an industry in Latin America. The only explicit work done on pornography is in Brazil, published in 2009: Nas redes do sexo, by Maria Elvira Diaz Benitez. Other works have remained at doctoral theses level with no further publication. Prof. Mariana Baltar also studies pornography in Brazil, she offers an introductory course at Universidade Federal Fluminense, but with a general perspective .

Abstract for Women Studies Conference @ FIU

Latinas in Pornography: US and Latin American Perspectives

Although there has been a fair amount of debate regarding pornography in the academic sphere where feminists have voiced their anti-porn or pro-sex opinions within the US context, there has always been an understanding of pornography as a product for the male eye. My presentation will problematize this assumption and will then seek to explore another aspect absent in academic discussions on US pornography: the use of ethnic and racial labels as marketing tools, specifically the construction of a monolithic latina within the US porn industry. By examining what constitutes and what is left out of this category, we can assume that latina as a label has no relevance in how pornography is marketed in Latin America and therefore will seek other categories and the exaltation of other characteristics to sell pornographic materials in national, regional and international markets. Contrasting US and Latin American industries, I will then focus on the Brazilian pornographic production where, in spite of a strong competition from the US industry, a distinct perception of the body, sexuality and health care issues intervene to make it the leading industry in the region.