Specifically, this study examines how tribal classification is employed and experienced on the socio-spatial networking app, Grindr. Tribal identification is an important issue to investigate as there is evidence to suggest that active identity has a strong influence on risky health-related behaviours related to sexual practices and drug/alcohol use.
In this thesis, I investigate a series of subcultures within the gay community termed ‘tribes’. Potential implications for MSM's understandings of intimacy are recognized and discussed with reference to sexual script theory. Only one of seven forms of intimacy, care (verbal), was associated with more interactions (i.e., likes and dislikes per 100,000 views), and there was no association with the number of views. We also tested if the presence of intimacy was associated with viewer interactions with videos (likes and dislikes) and number of views. Most forms of physical and verbal intimacy occurred before or during sex, with intimacy being least evident post-sex.
At least one example of physical and verbal intimacy was present in the majority of videos (91% and 68% of videos, respectively). The current study examined the 220 most viewed dyadic scenes of MSM SEM videos for the presence of verbal intimacy (compliments, personal disclosure, and expressions of care) and physical intimacy (kissing, cuddling, affectionate touch, and genital touch before and after sex) between performers. However, little is known about how MSM SEM depicts intimacy between male performers. Sexually explicit material (SEM) featuring men who have sex with men (MSM) may be a source of information about intimacy in same-sex male relationships for MSM.