The Awareness of Social Nudism 1n Modern Society - University of ...

initial intentions, she readily admits, was not to do the run, but to get the T -shirt. Upon
discovering that the group was actually going to do the run, she became "a little
apprehensive," and ''voyeuristic." However, her curiosity prevailed, and she soon found
herself in the confines of the nudist resort. When asked to describe some of her feelings
about visiting the resort, she replied as such,
My initial reaction was apprehension. I was actually surprised how nervous and
anxious I felt about being there. I felt physically ill as well as embarrassed. And I was
concerned how I would react to seeing someone publicly nude. I was concerned that the
nudists would see me as an intruder, a curiosity seeker, and would not appreciate me being
there. But once I was in the resort, I found the nudists to be friendly and the atmosphere of
the resort to be very casual and welcoming. Almost immediately I felt at ease. My
experience at the resort turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. I found the nudists
welcoming and accepting. No one tried to push me into becoming a nudist and no one
made me feel uncomfortable about being clothed. Nudists would smile and say hello, but
no one tried to recruit me into that lifestyle. It all felt very natural. And in a way, I envy
the nudists the ability to bath in the sun in the 'all natural' and not feel inhibited or ashamed.
Prior to visiting the resort, my subject never really gave much thought to social
nudism. However, as an open minded person, she believes that social nudism is not only a
personal lifestyle, but a personal choice. Since visiting the resort my subject claims her
personal views on social nudism have not changed. She believes that social nudism should
be allowed, but in restricted areas, away from the general public. She also feels that the
social nudist, must be a ''bit anti-establishment," because this lifestyle goes against the
mainstream view, though she added, "But being a bit anti-establishment is not necessarily a
bad thing."
When asked to describe what she learned from the experience she replies, "I cannot
say I learned a lot, but what I did learn has remained with me. I learned that nudists are the
same as everyone else but they choose to go without clothing. I found that there were more
male nudists which makes me believe that men are less inhibited than women. And I learned
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