POLE-ARIZED PERSPECTIVES TO POLE DANCING

Here I’ve chosen a social issue and analyzed it from the viewpoint of the three sociological perspectives. Before getting into the topic I’ve chosen, I wanted to clarify what actually these perspectives support. “Functionalist theory” claims society is an entity that has shared values and conflict isn’t acceptable ; whereas “conflict theory” suggests that being never harmonious is the first rule which ends up having conflicting values which cheerish different beliefs.Finally “symbolic interactionism” suggests people behave in the way other people want them to, as there’s a constant interaction between each other.

I’ve conducted a veerryy deep literature review to objectively apply each perspective to the topic I chose, so the references may be shared with the reader if interested.

POLE-ARIZED PERSPECTIVES TO FEMININE BODIES AND FEMINIST MINDS:
I have been pole dancing for 3 months.My interest in this topic arroused while I was talking with my instructor who’s my both idol and inspiration.I wanted to deeply learn why feminists were against pole dancing and accused polers of materializing women and what purpose actually pole dancers(aka polers) have and why high-heeled pleaser shoes are not only a “sexy material” for them.This kind of confusions arise due to lack of information about what’s genuinely going on in pole world and it directly affects the whole group of polers.It’s one of the groups that strive to establish empowerment and solidarity mechanisms for us-women, who’re exposed to all kinds of oppression and violence as a part of our daily life.Pole dancing is said to have originated in lap dancing clubs in 1980’s; however a sport practiced typically by men on a wood pole, was seen in 12th century(Allen, 2011) and is aforesaid to be coupled with Chinese pole within the circus.The foremost fashionable suggestion on the origins of recrational pole is that it began in the early decennium where girls dance on stage to entertain the male crowds(Stencell,1999;Lloyd, 2007).Allen(2011) states that recently pole dance seems to be increasingly replaced by new ‘sexualised’ types of class(burlesque,striptease) which takes us to the conclusion that the problems about this issue arrised actually in the beginning of 21st century.
From conflict perspective, “The figure of autonomous, active desiring subject has become -I suggest- the dominant figure for representing ,young women, part of the construction of the neoliberal feminine subject.But sexual subjectifiction I would argue has turned out to be objectification in new and even more pernicious guise.(Gill, 2003, p.105)”.As discussed in Just&Muhr’s study(2018) feminine bodies actively expressing themselves in pole dance is dismantling the prospect of feminist emancipation, subject women to new technologies of self, new styles of discipline and regulation(Gill, 2008; Gill&Orgad,2015).If man-centered ideas about sexiness shape this kind of practiceses, do sexual empowerment actually mean something-as it seems just like a pornified image, men sticked on women?Because women chose to pole dance with their free will, doesn’t mean they are free from internalizing male centered sexual performances(Murphy,2016).She also adds that strip club rooted pole dancing exploits women for male pleasure; in order to show power, trying something else, rather than “wearing stripper heels and showing crotch”,would be more significative.Then as a subgroup approached this issue with a sexist perspective resulting in glorifying man pleasure, the inequity supported the conflict theory.
From the functionalist interpretation, Kum(2020)states that pole dance is a sector dominated by women where mostly women take lessons in studios run by women and everyone who works together sees each other at their most “naked” moments.There’s a certain commitment and shared values among women worldwide who see themselves in pole community.As Kim&Kwon(2019)discusses, it’s a choice of fitnessing and the more you practice, the more you are self-satisfied.Kurz&Whitehead(2009) adds ‘choice and control’ mechanisms of exercising is also empowering for women.Levelled pole classes also have fitness-like preparation phases including cooling down and warming up(Fennel,2018) that simply differs it from the accused gentelman’s club label.Women also feel empowered by the muscle development of their upper body and core(Allen,2011). Kum(2020) states that women don’t just find a physical exercise regime or a fun hobby in pole dance;it’s also a tool that allows them to take control of their life, soul and body.Pole dance, which’s a very serious endurance and strength training, shows women what they can actually do.Carrying your own body weight in the air and witnessing your own strength is an incredible source of trust (Kum,2020).It’s a hyprid branch whose boundaries are expanding day by day which every “body” can do and every soul can enjoy.My beloved instructor who’s the owner of the first pole dance studio in Istanbul told me that how much fat someone has isn’t a criterion for pole dancing as it appears to be natural consequence of being human.What’s important is what that body can do!This would change the terrible negative perception dictated to women.Exercise ceases to be a punishment for the body you hate and you begin to be proud of it while truly loving it.It’s fundamentally a movement for the expression of every emotion whatever is in your soul; you can express it very directly and strongly with your dance.Finally clarifying the heel debate,it’s a matter of “choice” too.Pole studios doesn’t make them compulsory and every poler knows that learning the techniques without them is more didactic.They’re a technical requirement for particular moves and also thought to be source of confidence(Allen,2011).As this subgroup has the same shared values, most importantly empowerment through pole, these ideas support the functionalist perspective.
From the symbolic interactionist perspective, some women keep their pole dance experiences as a secret from their friends as they’re concerned about the reaction.Even though they aren’t ashamed of what they’re doing; ‘outsiders’ won’t truly understand the idea behind it and won’t accept their qualified artwork as a type of leisure activity.As outsiders will somehow be effected by stigmas, people choose to control information about themselves(Allen,2011). There’s another group who engage in recrational pole that Skegg’s(1997) study supports, middle class women who want to be respected and aspire to gain a sense of value while improving a self presentation with impression management(Goffman,1959,1963).
There’s not a tangible problem that policymakers can offer a direct solution to, as the issue is spinning around a metal pole which we choose to load cultural anxities around (Holland, 2010).However types of poling may be diffused into some organizations like pole fitness lessons can be offered in fitness clubs whereas pole dance with cherography lessons can be offered in dance studios so that the stigmas may be broken when people have the chance to see what’s actually going on in this esteemed sector.If outsider’s and poler’s ideas are gathered under a single roof then there won’t be any leakage through it, as the functionalist theory suggests.