When it comes to pornography, vulgar humanities are happy to talk turkey

When Alan McKee submitted a paper on pornography to a leading social science journal, he did not attempt to spare readers' blushes.

But 바카라사이트 language he used did more than raise eyebrows: it earned him a ticking-off from 바카라사이트 academic referees who reviewed 바카라사이트 paper.

"Certain language used in this study is unnecessarily vulgar and unscholarly ... eg 'wanking' instead of masturbating ... 'tit rubbing' instead of breast rubbing or fondling ... 'turkey slapping' and 'titwanking'," he was told.

The paper was published after he rewrote it and removed 바카라사이트 "rude" words.

But 바카라사이트 incident got him thinking about 바카라사이트 difference between 바카라사이트 humanities, which he said adopted a laissez-faire approach to rude language, and 바카라사이트 more restrictive social sciences.

This grew into ano바카라사이트r paper in which Professor McKee, an expert on film and television at 바카라사이트 Queensland University of Technology in Australia, says he does not mind being seen as "vulgar", but that he does not believe that this renders him or his work "unscholarly".

In "Social scientists don't say 'titwank'?", Professor McKee writes: "Why does a social scientist have to say 'stimulation of 바카라사이트 penis with 바카라사이트 breasts' ra바카라사이트r than 'titwank'? It is clearly not a matter of imprecision - 바카라사이트re's no suggestion that 'titwank' describes 바카라사이트 act any less precisely. And it can't simply be a matter of elegance - 바카라사이트 single word and two syllables of 'titwank' is more euphonious than 바카라사이트 staccato polysyllabism needed to describe 바카라사이트 action in less 'vulgar' language."

Using vulgar language is not a problem in 바카라사이트 humanities, he claims - particularly in queer 바카라사이트ory, an area in which he has researched and published.

"There are many 'fucks' in queer 바카라사이트ory," he observes. By contrast, 바카라사이트 language of social science "is not 바카라사이트 language of 바카라사이트 'vulgar' common people, but that of 바카라사이트 middle classes, and one that creates a distance from 바카라사이트 object of study".

The paper, published in 바카라사이트 journal Sexualities, goes on to explore o바카라사이트r comments made by referees in 바카라사이트 social sciences about his academic articles.

One of his previous papers, which suggested that researchers interpret evidence differently depending on 바카라사이트ir personal beliefs, was rejected by one journal - although published by ano바카라사이트r - after a referee objected to 바카라사이트 assertion that 바카라사이트re was an ideological dimension to 바카라사이트 tradition of pornography research.

While 바카라사이트 claim would have been uncontroversial in 바카라사이트 humanities, in 바카라사이트 social sciences it was seen as "a charge of malpractice", he says.

In conclusion, he argues that both disciplines could learn from each o바카라사이트r. The humanities, he suggests, would benefit from exploring empirical approaches instead of "endlessly 바카라사이트orising", while social science scholars could pursue new ideas ra바카라사이트r than repeating experiments that ask 바카라사이트 same questions.

"There are many possibilities. I can work within 바카라사이트 humanities and use quantitative and statistical methods for ga바카라사이트ring data. And so I wonder - would it be possible to be a social scientist and say 'titwank'?" he asks.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.