Alicia M. Walker and Arielle Kuperberg, "Bound by BDSM: Unexpected Lessons for Building a Happier Life" (Bloomsbury, 2025)

Oct 4, 2025

Arielle Kuperberg and Alicia M. Walker, both Associate Professors of Sociology, dive into their groundbreaking work on BDSM, revealing how practitioners enjoy high levels of happiness through clear boundaries, enthusiastic consent, and open communication. They emphasize that BDSM offers important lessons for all relationships, challenging traditional myths about intimacy and trust. The conversation also explores the balance of identity within BDSM, the cathartic power of self-disclosure, and the significance of community in supporting authentic connections.

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INSIGHT

Clear Communication Builds Stronger Intimacy

BDSM practices model explicit communication, enthusiastic consent, and boundary-setting that improve intimacy.
These communication norms translate into happier relationships beyond kink contexts.

INSIGHT

Love Isn’t Enough Without Negotiation

BDSM busts the myth that love alone makes sex work and shows the value of explicit negotiation.
Practitioners ask for what they want and accept when partners can't provide it.

ADVICE

Protect Participant Privacy In Sexuality Research

Use anonymous online surveys and optional separate contact forms to study stigmatized sexual behavior.
Offer interview-by-email or phone to increase honesty and protect participant privacy.

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Why are BDSM practitioners so happy? It turns out, BDSM isn't just about whips and chains.
With engaging stories and a warm, conversational tone, Bound by BDSM: Unexpected Lessons for Building a Happier Life (Bloomsbury Acacdemic, 2025) by Dr. Alicia M. Walker and Dr. Arielle Kuperberg reveals how BDSM practitioners use clear boundaries, enthusiastic consent, open dialogue, and a strong community to create fulfilling relationships and build richer, more intentional lives. Drawing on research from the largest scientific study of BDSM ever conducted, Alicia Walker and Arielle Kuperberg demonstrate that the BDSM community's approach to trust and vulnerability offers a valuable model for building intimacy and fostering authentic connections. BDSM also allows practitioners to exercise their creativity and break the mold - whether it comes to trying out new practices in the bedroom or bending ideas about gender.
Whether you're vanilla, kinky, or just here for the life advice, this book -packed with humor and insight-is a refreshingly open-minded guide to building stronger relationships, deeper intimacy, and a more intentional approach to connection.

Michael O. Johnston, Ph.D. is a Assistant Professor of Sociology at William Penn University. He is the author of The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla (Lexington Books, 2023) and Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest: Reconstructing the Mississippi River (Lexington Books, 2022). His general area of study is at the intersection of space, behavior, and identity. He is currently conducting research about: escape rooms, the use of urban design in downtown historical neighborhoods of rural communities, and what it means for college students to belong in college and university. To learn more about Michael O. Johnston you can go to his personal website, Google Scholar, Bluesky (@professorjohnst.bsky.social), Twitter (@ProfessorJohnst), or by email (johnstonmo@wmpenn.edu).

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