fetishism
Let an agent identify which sense of fetishism is meant, explain each sense with attribution to its field, keep the sexual sense clinical and non-graphic, present the anthropological term with its colonial history, and route personal or clinical questions to appropriate professionals.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent identify which sense of fetishism is meant, explain each sense with attribution to its field, keep the sexual sense clinical and non-graphic, present the anthropological term with its colonial history, and route personal or clinical questions to appropriate professionals.
A term with several distinct senses that the registry entry gathers together: in anthropology and the history of religion, the attribution of power to objects called fetishes, a term coined by European observers of West African practice and now treated critically; in Marxist theory, commodity fetishism, the treatment of social relations as properties of things, extended to money fetishism; in psychology and sexology, sexual fetishism, an intense interest in objects or materials, which is a clinical concern only when it causes distress or harm; and, loosely, an excessive fixation on anything, such as a fetishism of numbers.
What it is for: Not applicable; a concept with several senses.
It can be identify the sense in question; explain each sense with attribution; present critical histories of the term; route clinical questions.
Distinguishing features
Multiple disciplinary senses
Colonial origin of the term
Theoretical use in Marxism
Clinical criteria in sexology
What it looks like
Not a visible object; a concept applied in several fields.
How it is recognised
Attribution of power or excessive value to objects
Anthropological, Marxist, sexological and loose senses
A fetish object and a fetish as a religious item are related but distinct entries
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms, an assignment that needs review
is related to - the Marxist sense
is related to - the sexological sense
is related to - the object in religion
In practice
Families and kinds
fetishism in the history of religion and anthropology
commodity and money fetishism in Marxist theory
sexual fetishism, including material-specific interests, as a topic in sexology
loose uses such as a fetishism of numbers or of technique
Standards and regulation
Diagnostic criteria in ICD-11 and DSM-5 for the clinical sense, which apply only with distress or harm
No regulation for the other senses
Failure modes and hazards
Conflating senses
Pathologising non-clinical interests
Repeating colonial framing uncritically
Graphic or non-clinical presentation
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.fetishism
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Senses Which sense is meant.
Definition.
Identify
Identifying the sense.
Identify
Identify.
- Which sense of fetishism is in question, and how do the senses differ? definition
- Is the question anthropological, theoretical, sexological or loose usage? boundary
History
History of the term.
History
History.
- How did the term arise from European accounts of West African practice, and how do scholars now treat it? provenance
- Is the presentation critical of the colonial framing? boundary
Theory Marxist sense.
Attribution.
Commodity
Commodity fetishism.
Commodity
Commodity.
- What does Marx mean by commodity fetishism, and how has the concept been extended, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which entry fits commodity fetishism? action
Debate
Debates.
Debate
Debate.
- How do later theorists use or criticise the concept? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Clinical Sexological sense.
Clinical.
Definition
Clinical definition.
Definition
Definition.
- How do sexology and diagnostic manuals define sexual fetishism, and when is it a clinical concern? provenance
- Is the presentation clinical, non-graphic and non-pathologising? boundary
Support
Support.
Support
Support.
- Where can someone seek professional help if an interest causes distress or harm? provenance
- Is the user asking about their own situation, which needs a clinician? boundary
Usage Loose usage and study.
Context.
Loose
Loose uses.
Loose
Loose.
- How is fetishism used loosely for excessive fixations, such as on numbers or technique? provenance
- Which entry fits the specific topic? action
Scholarship
Scholarship.
Scholarship
Scholarship.
- How do anthropology, critical theory and sexology study fetishism today? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should each sense be a separate entry with its own parent?
- Is the registry parent assignment to trend mining correct?
- The registry entry has merged aliases from different senses; should they be split off?