#howtobeasexicon: Sexualisation and Humanisation in the Visual Presentation of Parapole
(2026) KOVM12 20261Division of Art History and Visual Studies
- Abstract
- This thesis explores how visibilisation, sexualisation, and humanisation works in parapole, which refers to pole dance performed by people with disabilities. These three themes are explored as binaries which this thesis deconstructs and problematises. As a generally highly sexualised sport, pole dance provides an interesting basis for analysis of the visuality of people with disabilities, as people with disabilities are typically de-sexualised in society. This thesis analyses parapole content from Instagram, a popular social media, with semiotics as the chosen methodology. The analysis applies a variety of theoretical lenses, such as identity construction within queer theory, crip theory within disability theory, and a variety of theories... (More)
- This thesis explores how visibilisation, sexualisation, and humanisation works in parapole, which refers to pole dance performed by people with disabilities. These three themes are explored as binaries which this thesis deconstructs and problematises. As a generally highly sexualised sport, pole dance provides an interesting basis for analysis of the visuality of people with disabilities, as people with disabilities are typically de-sexualised in society. This thesis analyses parapole content from Instagram, a popular social media, with semiotics as the chosen methodology. The analysis applies a variety of theoretical lenses, such as identity construction within queer theory, crip theory within disability theory, and a variety of theories of the gaze as it relates to the Other. This thesis argues that binaries are predominantly deconstructed in the visual presentation of parapolers, with the analysed content showing ways in which parapolers are visibilised and invisibilised on social media, and the implications this holds for de/sexualisation and in/humanity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9247550
- author
- Lindqvist, Annie LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- KOVM12 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- disability theory, pole dance, sexualisation, the gaze, semiotics.
- language
- English
- id
- 9247550
- date added to LUP
- 2026-08-10 06:41:29
- date last changed
- 2026-08-10 06:41:29
@misc{9247550,
abstract = {{This thesis explores how visibilisation, sexualisation, and humanisation works in parapole, which refers to pole dance performed by people with disabilities. These three themes are explored as binaries which this thesis deconstructs and problematises. As a generally highly sexualised sport, pole dance provides an interesting basis for analysis of the visuality of people with disabilities, as people with disabilities are typically de-sexualised in society. This thesis analyses parapole content from Instagram, a popular social media, with semiotics as the chosen methodology. The analysis applies a variety of theoretical lenses, such as identity construction within queer theory, crip theory within disability theory, and a variety of theories of the gaze as it relates to the Other. This thesis argues that binaries are predominantly deconstructed in the visual presentation of parapolers, with the analysed content showing ways in which parapolers are visibilised and invisibilised on social media, and the implications this holds for de/sexualisation and in/humanity.}},
author = {{Lindqvist, Annie}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{#howtobeasexicon: Sexualisation and Humanisation in the Visual Presentation of Parapole}},
year = {{2026}},
}