Exposing perceptions and beliefs towards naturism: A qualitative exploration of personal narratives

Some behaviours and individual characteristics can be labelled as offensive. In today’s world, almost any behaviour or characteristic might be perceived as deviating from the norm by any specific observer. Naturism, which has recently gained the interest of scholars, refers to engaging in nudity without the intention of any sexual stimulation. There is vast literature which explores perceptions and beliefs towards individuals who belong to minority groups. However, there is a current gap in the literature when it comes to understanding perceptions of textiles (non-naturists) towards naturism. The present qualitative study addresses this gap by representing non-naturists’ voices surrounding their beliefs towards naturism. Ten participants were recruited to collect rich and detailed data by convenience sampling method to explore their beliefs and perceptions towards naturism. Two distinct themes emerged from a reflective thematic analysis of the dataset: Incognizant acceptance and Beliefs surrounding naturists. Participant narratives suggest that individuals who are non-naturists but unfamiliar with naturism have a limited understanding of what it is. The findings of the present study assist in deepening our understanding of naturism and offer to challenge societal beliefs and values in relation to naturism.