Bodies, Technologies, Spaces: On ‘Dogging’

This article provides an analysis of key dimensions of the (hetero)sexual practice or subculture known as ‘dogging’. Dogging combines voyeurism, exhibitionism, public sex and partner-swapping or multi-partner sex, and predominantly takes place in secluded sites on the urban fringe, accessed by car. The article sketches some recent UK media coverage of the dogging scene, and then explores the ways in which particular technologies are utilized in the scene. It also discusses the spaces of dogging, and suggests that dogging represents a technologically-mediated ‘folding’ of public and private space. The article concludes by pointing towards other aspects of dogging that warrant future scrutiny.