Master/slave (BDSM)

For other uses, see Master/slave (disambiguation).

In BDSM, Master/slave or M/s is a relationship in which one individual (the submissive) gives to another (the dominant) ultimate authority over them. It is a form of dominance and submission or total power exchange. The participants may be of any gender or sexual orientation. The relationship is structured in terms of slavery, because of the association of the term with ownership of the slave and the rights of a master to their body, as property or chattel. The dominant is often called Master if male, or Mistress if female.

The owner/slave relationship is usually entered into on a consensual basis, without the legal force of historical or modern non-consensual slavery, which is forbidden by the laws of most countries.

Slave

Main article: Sexual slavery (BDSM)

Outside the BDSM community, the relationship of Master/slave is sometimes regarded as a form of consensual sexual slavery. In BDSM, a slave is a specific type of submissive. The master/slave relationship refers to the relationship between the individuals involved, and does not necessarily require any specific acts, sexual or otherwise, though sexual activity is usually an aspect of the relationship. The sexual aspect could be conventional, and not necessarily BDSM. A slave could also be a masochist or bottom, but this is not always the case.^[1]

Some participants regard the relationship as sexual roleplay, while others enter into the relationship on the basis of a highly committed, long-term, submissive lifestyle.

Some practitioners feel the difference between submissive and slave is the degree of submission. However, many who are involved in Master/slave relationships see the difference as being conceptual. For example, some slaves may not have a naturally submissive personality, but choose to surrender their will and volition to another.

There is considerable debate over the exact definition of the word "slave" as it pertains to BDSM. Many people believe that a slave is someone who considers themselves to be one, whilst others believe one must be in the emotional state of total power exchange (TPE) for the term to apply.

There are differences of opinion about whether one needs to be currently in an M/s relationship to be identified as a slave. Many in the BDSM community do not feel that ownership is a requirement, viewing slavery as an identity rather than a condition.

Symbols and rituals

A slave collar with D-rings, to which a leash may be attached

Various forms of symbolism are sometimes used to affirm the owner/slave relationship. These include the wearing the owner's collar, being registered in a slave register, adopting (sometimes legally changing to) a name chosen by the owner, or engaging in a public declaration or ritualized ceremony of some type.

Some people draw up a slave contract that defines the relationship in explicit detail. These contracts may also deal with domestic arrangements (such as cleanliness, home duties) and interpersonal relationship matters (such as issues of deference, language, etc), besides the sexual arrangements. Typically, they would provide that the master has the only say in all matters relating to the body and manners of the slave, including clothing, underwear, social relations outside of the arrangement, etc. However, these contracts are understood as not having any legal weight and are not intended to be used in a court of law, but are an understanding and agreement between the individuals.

In some traditional rituals, after signing a slave contract, many people celebrate the commitment to the relationship with a collaring ceremony, which can be simple or elaborate and friends are usually invited. The slave then wears a collar, which symbolizes their status. The collar may be a piece of neckwear, or may be a bracelet or other piece of jewellery that symbolizes slave status. These collars are generally not removed unless or until the relationship is dissolved, although some slaves are permitted to wear a more subdued (or less obtrusive) one outside of the home - for example during work or in social situations with people who may feel uncomfortable by them.

Total power exchange

Total power exchange (TPE) is a derivative of the concept of power exchange in a master/slave relationship. The term refers to a relationship where the dominant or owner has complete authority and influence over the submissive's life, making the majority of decisions. TPE is occasionally referred to as 24/7, denoting that protocol in the D/s relationship is in play anytime, anyplace and the dominant partner gets complete power at all times.

An early use of the term "total power exchange" occurred in the newsgroup alt.sex.bondage on February 3, 1995 by Jon Jacobs.[1], who wrote of his "...contention that total power exchange is possible and, apparently, that the play-party paradigm is not real power exchange."

“

A TPE (Total Power Exchange) relationship, sometimes described as an absolute lifestyle d&s relationship ... is a relationship in which no impediment to the exercise of the owner's power is accepted ... Such things as safewords, contracts, negotiated limits, and anything else which recognizes / acknowledges / formalizes limits on the owner's power are inimical to TPE.

”

Jacobs preferred to use the phrase absolute power exchange (APE), but both terms continued to be problematic for some people, including many who pursue these types of relationship, since the relationship is subject to the physical and the emotional limitations of the participants and therefore cannot genuinely be total or absolute. Partly as a result of these objections, the term internal enslavement (IE) was first used in 2000 to better describe the state of mind of these kinds of "consensual slaves".^[2][3]

The slave may work to please or satisfy the master. This could include servitude, humiliation, public servitude, public use of collar and in some instances leash.

Slave training

Slave training is a BDSM activity usually involving a consensual power exchange between two people taking on the roles of a master or mistress and a slave. Typically this involves changing the slave's behavior in a manner that is pleasing to the master or mistress, perhaps instructing the slave to follow a set of rules that the master or mistress has set out.

Slave training is a learning process both for the slave (or submissive) and for the master or mistress, or dominant. Training will usually be set out and defined clearly before it begins. The master or mistress will teach the slave how to speak, act and think in a way that is pleasing to them. The slave, in return, gets pleasure from being able to make their master or mistress happy. Or, the slave gets a reward like food, a bed, etc.^{[citation needed]}

In some instances, in more extreme relationships, it may also involve some forms of aversion training. This could include use of spanking, cropping or clamping to encourage compliance, and to permit the slave to find an excuse for complying in their own minds. If the "slave" being trained is also a masochist, they may enjoy painful punishment, therefore punishment may need to be psychological or emotional, to create the unpleasant result that the punishment requires.

Master/slave subculture

Master/slave also exists as a subculture which straddles the Leather and BDSM worlds, and is represented at regular conventions and meetings in North America. These include the International Mr. Leather annual contest in Chicago, the annual International Master/slave contest for master and slave pairs, held as part of South Plains Leatherfest (SPLF) each February; the MASTER/slave Conference (MSC) held in Washington, D.C. each September, which is also the largest convention dedicated to M/s relationships; and Masters And slaves Together with over 20 chapters across the United States.

Feeder contests for SPLF include SouthEast LeatherFest (SELF) for the SouthEast Master/slave title, held in Atlanta every June; the Master/slave Conference for the NorthEast Master/slave title; Great lakes Leather Alliance (GLLA) for the Great Lakes Master/slave title, held in Indianapolis, IN every August; the SouthWest Leather Conference (SWLC) for the SouthWest Master/slave title, held in Phoenix, AZ every January; and NorthWest Leather Celebration (NWLC) for the NorthWest Master/slave title, held in San Jose, California every April. SPLF and the feeder contest events include many Master/slave oriented classes, as well as classes on other aspects of the BDSM and Leather lifestyles.

The Master/slave subculture is frequently identified by the Master/slave Flag.

References

1. ^ Guy Baldwin, SlaveCraft: Roadmaps for Erotic Servitude - Principles, Skills and Tools. Daedelus Publishing Co, 2002, pp57-62. ISBN 1-881943-14-3.
2. ^ Robert J. Rubel, Master/slave Relations: Handbook of Theory and Practice. Nazca Plains Publishers, 2006, ISBN 978-1887895637, p121.
3. ^ Robert J. Rubel, Protocol Handbook for the Leather slave: Theory and Practice. Nazca Plains Publishers, 2006, pp9,39.

Further reading

• Christina Abernathy, Erotic Slavehood: A Miss Abernathy Omnibus. Greenery Press, 2007. ISBN 1890159719.
• Jack Rinella, Becoming a slave. Rinella Editorial Services, 2005. ISBN 0940267209.
• Jack Rinella, The Compleat Slave: Creating and Living an Erotic Dominant/Submissive Lifestyle. Daedelus publishing Co, 2002. ISBN 1-881943-13-5.
• Robert J. Rubel, PhD "Master/slave Relations: Handbook of Theory and Practice." Nazca Plains Publishers, 2006. ISBN 978-1887895637

See also

• BDSM
• Dominance & submission
• Consent
• Gorean
• Roleplaying
• Sadism and masochism
• Collar
• Power exchange

This article incorporates text from the article on Total Power Exchange in Wipipedia, the free-content Fetish and BDSM encyclopedia. This article incorporates text from the article on Master/slave in the Ownership Wiki, the free-content guide to the Ownership Subculture.