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This is the version from 11 Mar 11, 12:33 AM. The full history of this entry will show any more recent versions.

ICcode for "Servitude"

[b]Service[/b] is a deliberate feature of many [about=power
exchange]power exchange[/about] relationships and this is especially
true when the relationship includes  a [b]service-oriented[/b]
[about=submissive]submissive[/about] or [about=slave]slave[/about], or
indeed when the Dominant is oriented toward service reception.  A
submissive may not always enjoy [b]servitude[/b] for itself, but can
generally enjoy the overall feeling of pleasing the dominant and being
helpful.

Many submissives and slaves, of either gender, consider part of their
role to be that of a servant, and gain satisfaction and even direct
enjoyment from performing services for their dominant.  The servitude
may be purely sexual or it may be only domestic (eg, providing regular
household or similar duties), but is most likely to be a combination. 
The services may be overt, performed in the manner of a chauffeur,
butler, houseboy, or [about=French maid]maid[/about].  Some submissives
seek to be a domestic worker, as a servant who works within their
dominant's [about=Houses]household[/about].  Sometimes servitude will
include work both inside the home and outside (for example, as a
gardener or stablehand).  Many submissives, of either gender, who are
especially driven by a desire to serve, seek to serve a couple.

Some examples of domestic service include washing, ironing, cleaning the
house, preparing and serving foods and drinks, doing the grocery
shopping (or accompanying the dominant when shopping), taking the family
dog for a walk, and caring for children.  Except in tone, and perhaps
dress or attitude, this is not much different from the duties of any
diligent stay-at-home traditional wife.

A service-oriented submissive may have a deep seated desire to be "of
use" rather than to be "used". They are fulfilled by feeling useful to
someone they yearn to please.  Service orientation is not a
black-and-white issue, however, and many submissives function best with
some mixture of being used and being of use.  Although a
service-oriented submissive or slave desires to please, it would be a
mistake to assume that they do not also care about their own needs. 
Each will have unique personal needs that must be attended to, just like
anyone else.

While many relationship submissives (that is, submissives who are
distinct from those who are submissive only during a
[about=scene]scene[/about]) might expect to serve to order, a
service-oriented submissive will often feel they have let themselves
down if they need to be asked to do something on a regular basis.  They
enjoy pleasing, and know that they can best do this by learning to do
what is required and anticipating its need. 

Some submissives are fulfilled by being 'made' to perform service. 
Their service-orientation is not based primarily on a desire to be
pleasing, but on a feeling of [about=humiliation]humiliation[/about]. 
They desire to be servile, required to perform menial duties for the
pleasure of a harsh dominant.  Many such serfs are also
[about=Masochism]masochistic[/about].

The pleasures of servitude are sometimees combined with the pleasures of
[about=Fetish]fetishes[/about], the pleasures of
[about=humiliation]humiliation[/about], being used, or any combination.
A submissive may rub his or her dominant's [about=Foot]feet[/about]
because the sub enjoys providing the service, has a [about=Foot
fetishism]foot fetish[/about], or enjoys being "lower" than the
dominant, etc.


[heading]External Links


[item][url=http://bondage.com/id/8/which/308/show_column.html]Motivation
to Serve[/url]

[item]Wikipedia - [about=Wikipedia:Service-oriented]Service-oriented[/about]


[heading]See also


[item][about=BDSM]BDSM[/about]

[item][about=Slave]Slave[/about]

[item][about=Bottom (BDSM)]Bottom[/about]

[item][about=Domination and submission]Domination and submission[/about]



(This entry in the BDSM Dictionary incorporates text from the
[url=http://www.londonfetishscene.com/wipi/index.php/Servitude]Servitude[/url]
article in Wipipedia.)

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