Living in Double World: Harmonizing Homosexuality and Masculinity Through Symbolic Consumptions in Private Space

This article demonstrates the interpretation of a selected homosexual’s narratives of his consumption patterns and taste which emerge as a refuge from any social stigmatization. These reconstruct a sense of masculinity while cherishing their homosexuality. The investigation emphasizes various experiential aspects of interior decorative activities of his secret room which is treated confidentially and demarcated from more open rooms. The interpretation indicates that the decoration is employed to sacralize the room which is used for the escapism and romantic ritual purpose. Moreover, the conflated decorative styles of loft and vintage, as reflexive of camp consumption, are discussed in line with an affirmation of masculinity and an embrace of homosexuality. Hypermasculinization is also explored since it creates a cultural superiority over the heterosexual mainstream to achieve the homosexual masculinity.

Citation:

Nopporn Ruangwanit and Kritsadarat Wattanasuwan (2009) ,"Living in Double World: Harmonizing Homosexuality and Masculinity Through Symbolic Consumptions in Private Space", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, eds. Sridhar Samu, Rajiv Vaidyanathan, and Dipankar Chakravarti, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 137-143.