THE CHANNELING OF AGGRESSION

AD

THE FUNCTION &F CFLICT IN A NUDIST CAMP

James. P.Downs

Lewis Coser in his book Fuactions of Social Conflict has commented on
the lack of concern modern sociologists have shown In a study of conflict

and their assumption that conflict represents a social pathology threatening
disorganization or dissolution of the society.e1l

This paper will explore the function of conflict within a small
divergent group in American society, a nudist camp, and will attempt to
illustrate the institutional mechanisms for containing aggression and

channeling it into constructive social conflict to strengthen the group.
The nudist group provides an interesting area of study, not only because
of its radical divergence from the values of the larger American society,

but also because the philosophy of the movement holds that the association
of persons in the nude in a social and recreational context largely pre-
cludes interpersonal tensions because the absence of clothing removes
many of the causes of interpersonal tensions in our society.

While the writer is not concerned with the validity of these claims,
he did observe, in the course of some twenty visits ranging from a few

hours to several days, that the atmosphere. of the camp was one of relaxed,
friendly good fellowhip, thus supporting statements made by nudist leaders
and the nudist press. Only after having been a member of the club for

several months was it possible to note that there were, in fact, hostilities
between persons and groups within the camp. On a psychological level, the
suggestion has been made that in American society clothing carries with it

a number of built-in role identifications which can be ignored when a person
is nude. Thus the aggressiveness which is at least an implied aspect of the
male role in the United States may well be left on the clothes hanger along
with the trousers, the shirt which buttons on the left, and other distinctly
male attire.

On a functional level it Is clear that open interpersonal conflict
would belie the claims which attract new members to the nudist movement.

Aggressive impulses consequently must be repressed in the overall interest
of the movement. This repression would probably result in frustration if

no other outlet could be found for the aggressive impulses; such a constant
frustration would agp in repel members and weaken the movement.

Coser points out that, because conflict in closely integrated groups
tends to be more intense and more of a threat to group solidarity than in

less integrated groups, there is a tendency in the forr to suppress conflict
more vigorously or to channel it toward substitute objects.

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Although the nudist group is purely associational and voluntary (except

perhaps for children introduced to nudism by parents) it is nontheless an
intimate group.  The secluded location of the camp, the careful screening
of newcomers, the shared divergent values, all combine to make the nudist
population more intimate than, let us say, the population of a week-end

vacation area on the Russian River. The very fact of nudity, which makes

it necessary to don clothing in order to leave the camp, adds to the feeling
of group distinctiveness and solidarity.

we must now examine the conflict potential of the nudist group

and compare it with that of similar groups0  While there are a number of
conflict potentials in the simple interaction of people in a recreational

activity such as yelling and loud talking, unsafe or annoyingly boisterous
behavior in the swimming pool, ignoring rules observed by the rest of

the population, it would seem that they are no greater conflict potentials
within a nudist camp than they are, let us say, on a public beach or at
a country club0  Within the nudist camp there are. however, a number of
conrfct potentials which are unique to the situation0  All nudists are
aware that most outsiders view their activities as erotic, immoral, and

probably pathological0 They are concerned about the opinion of the larger
society and sensitive to any Denavior on the part of a fellow nudist which
would tend to confirm the opinion generally held of the movement0  Nudists
do not share, as nudists, a common code of moral standards, if we except
their belief. While they believe that association in the nude is right,

proper, and morally defensible, they differ radically on other aspects of

behavior. In the camp visited by the writer there were members with views
as far apart as those of the Bohemian avant garde and of Christian funda-
mentalism, An illustration, of this diversity is seen in the problem of
social dancing0  Some members, particularly those from Europe, where the
practice is common, hold that people should be allowed to dance in the

nude just as they play volleyball in the nude0  There are other members,

a distinct minority, who feel that dancing in itself is not a totally moral
activity, Between these extremes there is a wide range of opinions.

Common nudist practice is to permit dancing, but only when clothed, and the
American Subathing Association will not admit to affiliation any camp which
permits dancing in the nude0  The more liberal nudist decries this as hypo-
crisy, while the fundamentalist sadly comments that by succumbing to the
lure of dancing even nudists are not as moral as they ought to be. Yet,
in order to condinue to enjoy nudist activity, both groups are forced to

suppress their own views to the extent of accepting the rules as they are
and not attempting to force tneir own standards on the camp as a whole.

The problem of potentiaL conflictr existing in any situation in-
volving moral attitudes is commonly resolved by the avoidance of delicate
subjects when persons with diverging views are in contact. While nudists
often engage in lengthy and illuminating discussions on morality, society,

and values, such conversations are usually held in the privacy of a trailer
or cabin in the evening and the participants are generally friendly toward
one another9s views0  When conflicts over standards have appeared on the
surface of the nudist movement the usual result has been a schism, and

the establishment of a newr camp, or, on a national level, a newr organiza-
tion.

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There are, then, within thenudist camp two sources of conflict, the ordi-

nary irritations of personal interaction and. the more basic differences of opinion
outlined aboves Although in the;- interest of the movement- these conflicts must

net be- allowed to D express -themselves - in direct aggrssive behavior, they must never-
theless be given some outlet in order to reduce frustration. There are three
broad areas toward which aggression could be directed without threatening the
cohesion of the group:

(1) Hostility -cauld be directed.toward substitute objects in the clothed

life of -the member. outside the. cahpm  His family, pets, -fellow workers, employers
or employees couldd becae targets. for the aggreseive tendencies suppressed

while, at -camp.. Although this redirection may actually occur, any discussion of
the home and occupational lifg of nudists without investigation would be purely
speculative and. unrewarding0

(2) Hostility could. be directed toward the outside clothed world re-

garded as a.non-.understanding persecutor- There is some evidence to support

the idea that this was; the case in the early phases of nudism in this country and
abroad  , The movement tended to be militant and crusadi$ng, demanded total in-

volvement of-the personality of its members, dictated diet and behavior in the

most minute detail, held itself aloof from society, and willingly involved itself
in legal conflict  However,  at the present time, and particularly in this

country, nudtism no longer demands total involvement, and offers no solution to

world problems, seeking instead to relate to other organizations and to gain the
acceptance of the. outer world0

There is a great ,deal -of interaction between the camp studied and the clothed
community0  The camp facilities Include a large clubroom which is utilized by

the local community. association;  t. loca  Boy Scout groups are invited to swim
at the camp; the county sheriff usually ha's a patrol in the area to protect the
camp's privacy; and the local courts fine "snoopers" severely0 To direct

hostility, toward. the. community would. certainly not beV in the. best interest of the
camp 0

(3) The final. alternative, then>, is to- channel conflict within the camp

but without disturbing the tranquillity and friendliness which are so important

to retaining old members and attracting new ones0  In short, conflict must be chan-
neled. in such a. way that it does not appear to be. conflict at a~ll0

It migh -beadded here that baving shown that conflict does exist (a point
to be. illustratedIn. detail. later*).. one must lasume that a corresponding frustra-
tion will develop unless. conflic.t is expressed 0 The fact that many members have
continued nudist activity in one camp for a quarter of a century and that new-

comers become extremely enthusiastic is evidence that the frustrations are effective-
ly dealt with0

Before discussing actual conflict situations within the nudist group the set-
ting of the camp and its organization will be described0  Sunshine Lodge is located
in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay- area, sufficiently close to the
maln population centers to attract city dwellers who are able to stay in camp

only a day as well as those who wish to spend an entire weekend there. Its total
area is 124 acres of typical coast range country,9 hilly and in some areas heavily

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covered with scrub oak and brush. Most activity takes place in an area of about

20 acres which contains the gate house, auto and trailer parking areas, club house,
guest lodge, rental cabins, swimming pool and volley ball courts. A short

distance from the center of activity is "the village," a collection of privately
owned cabins built by members on land rented from th  camp.

The group was formed in 1936 as a cooperative club, members contributing dues

toward the expense of operating the camp on what was then an abandoned farm. Since
that time the property has been purchased'by a nudist who operates the camp as a

private club0 Although e admits that the camp may never become -a profitable enter-
prise, every effort is made to "break. even." Members, who are first screened by
the manager, pay dues and ground fees for the use of the camp facilities. The

owner employs a couple who live at the camp and manage the property. Shortly be-
fore the close of the 1957 season a caretaker was employed to assist the managing
couple.

While major decisiona of policy are made by the management, the membership
has a strong. ,voice in thee- decisions through its own political structure. The
members annually elect officers and a board of directors which meets at regular
intervals to plan various club activities and to advise the management on prac-

tices desired by the membership. Twice a year the entire membership participates
in a meeting. at which questions of policy are discussed.,

Nudists are apt to describe their legislative sessions as "icrazy",, "hot",

or "wild", and my own observation supports the contention that such meetings do
engender a high degree of emotion0  It often seemed that the. emotional pitch was
considerably higher than was warranted by the aubject under discussion. The

only occasion on which open hostility or at least verbal aggression was observed
resulted from a disputed matter of procedure before the board of directors. One
of the individuals involved protested so violently that he threatened to resign.

Nudist politics -appear to take on the same emotional cast. The writer was present
at the 1957 national convention and was impressed by the intensity with which the
various committees and boards discussed what appeared on the surface to be ques-
tions of little real. import.

Before attempting to relate the behavior of the residents of Sunshine Lodge
to the theoretical discuasion above, it -would be well to examine actual incidents
which could have developed into openly hostile and aggressive behavior in a non-
nudist situation to see how they were handled within the nudist group.

The Visiting Photographer

On an early visit to the camp we were introduced to a male nudist from an

Asian country who appeared to be extremely popular with the members. Because he
was returning to his. homead he lad been granted permission to take photographs

of the activities at Sunshine Lodge to show to nudists in.his country. Subsequent-
ly several persona felt that some of the poses he had requested of women members

lad been mproPerA4 To our knowledge ihe was not confronted directly before he left
for home. The incidentr- however, was not forgotten, and it was apparent that it
had generated a great deal of emotion and resentment.

10

The incident was made the focal point for a demand that new rules concerning
the use of cameras within the camp be formulated. This proposal was brought up at
a general membership meeting, which was, according to informants, rather heated.

A new and very complex set of rules was decided on, forbidding the use of camras
to visitors or to new members for sixty days after they were admitted to the

camera club, instructed in proper photogrphyy, and issued an identifying arm-band.

It should be noted here that the subject of photography within a camp is an
extremely "hot" issue among. nudists, many feeling that the practice should be

prohibited altogether. Id di not meet anyone who advocated unrestricted use of

the camera, but several persons expressed resentment at what they consider unfair
restriction of the rights of photographic hobbyists. Some nudists, while admit-
ting that it should be acceptable for nudists to take snapshots of their activi-

ties,, frown on posed photographs. Amateur photographers, on the other hand, insist
that by taking artfully posed nudes they are heldping the nudist cause by showing
the human body as an esthetically pleasing object.

There are a number of reasons behind this conflict of opinion. Probably

the most important is the fact that photographs taken within a nudist camp can,

and apparently have in the past,, fallen into the wrong. hands8, with resultant em-

harassment to the nudist -involved and to the movement as a whole. Further object-
ions are related to legal considerations which limit the pictorial display of the
nude body and might embroil the. individual nudist or the movement in legal diffi-
culties. In talking to some nudists I bave gained the distinct impression that

they accept nudity as moral and proper but somehow feel that being photographed in
the nude is not the same sort of thing.

The incident of the visiting photographer brought this subject to the fore
and provided an opportunity for a clash between the photographers and the non-
photographers.

TheustLod       itchen,

The facilities at Sunshine Lode include a converted farmhouse which

serves as a lodge in which members rent rooms. It has a common kitchen, shower and
toilet facilities. Because toilet facilities are apt to be crowded in the

trailer parking area. during certain periods and because day visitors have nowhere
to cook, many members who were not renting. rooms in the lodge used its toilet and
kitcen. This caused members who had rented rooms to resent the inconvenience.

Persons who had used the facilities of the lodge without renting rooms seemed not
to be conscious of this resentment, and appeared genuinely surprised when a rule

was annoluned prohibiting members,. other than those who rented rooms in the lodge,
froX.Osingthe kitchen and toilet facilities   It may well have been that overt

resentment wse present but it was of such a mild nature that it could be ignored
without discomfort. The rule was a result of a complaint to the management by

a iember who rented a room. in the lodge. In ths incident we again see a conflict
potential which did not develop into direct confrontation of the parties involved,
but which was resolved by taking the problem to the management to be settled by
a policy decision.

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The Tatooed Man

On a visit early in the sumer we noticed a male visitor, outstanding be-

cause of extensive tattooing which, covered his entire body below the neck and above
the wrists. He appeared to be the guest of an ol.der member who was. not known to us.

Our fortunate location .on the sundeck enabled us to overhear the conversation

of a group of young people in their' middle and late teens. The visitor's appearance,
particularly when it was noticed that his buttocks and genitalia were decorated,
elicited from the youngsters a number. of shocked and angry comments.  RHe must

be crazy," remarked a boy. "How in the world did he get in here? I'll bet Emilie
(the manager) didn't know he looked like that,' said a girl of about 15 years.
Adults around the pool. could not help but notice the colorful figure but their

attitude was one of puzzled amusement rather than hostility. There was, however,
very little effort made to-draw him into-conversation or other activiteso

The visitor soon made himself even more conspicuous, definitely upsetting
the tranquillity of the pool and. unning area..  is. first move was to stop a

passer-by who was walking a dog on a leash and relase the animal, although this

was against the camp rules. When the owner protested mildly he Jocularly ignored
her requests to let the dog alone until a woman of his own group "scolded" him.

Shortly after the incident of the dog the tattooed man pushed the same young

woman into the swimming pool. This act was expressly forbidden on grounds of safety
and seldom committed except by children. It also required his placing his hands on
the victim which constituted a further, violation of accepted nudist conduct. Al-
though the woman was extremely sensitive to being.surprised in this manner, and
always entered the pool from the shallow end to avoid the sudden shock of cold

water, she did not protest. Instead she smiled (without. much. sincerity, it must

be admitted) and ignored the. tattooed man. Other persons who witnessed the push-

ing incident expressed resentment in subdued voices and the woman's husband refer-
red to the tattooed. man as.a "knucklehead."

The tattooed man then pushed a four-year-old girl playing near the shallow

end of the swimg pool i.nto the water. The surprise of the sudden fall sent the
child into tears. The.---dists present expressed their resentment even more fully,
than on the previous occasion, but. a gain no one confronted the transgressor. The
child's father, one of the camp officials. came to the scene, quieted his daughter,
and listed to the embarrassed apologies of the tattooed man while depreciating
the child' 8wailso

Soon after this. incident John, the manager, appeared at the pool and spoke
quietly to the tattooed man, who disappeared a few minutes later and apparently
left the camp. We were unable to learn whether he had. been ordered to leave, or

merely told to stop the behavior described. The nudists who had witnessed the in-
cidents took it for granted that the manager had ordered him out of the camp and
expressed the attitude that "it served him right."

As in the case of the -guest lodge kitchen, a situation which engendered
hostile emotions was referred to the management for settlement

12

The.. Loud Radio.

One of the rules of. the .camp forbade... radios in the vicinity of the swim.

.ing pool. When. questioning members about -this .rule we found that a number of them
resented the restriction but. did not protest because n we .don't wnt to stir. up
anyting."  Further questioning disclosed- that several - year. earlier a group of

young people, bad brought a radio to the pool area and played it rather loudly0  I
-could not learn whether the radio players .had been asked to tune their machine
down. The music cic, however, annoy one member enough for him to introduce a
motion at the next meeting of the board of directors forbidding radios at the
pool.

Here ag.in is a problem, which would have been approached on a purely personal
level in .most other. social. -groups -? i.e.,, by a direct request to the offending
party that the radio be turned down. but which was taken directly to the legis-
lative machinery of the camp, to be remedied by an overall rule.

The four. itatons. dscxribed.. represent the mot common type of conflict
potential. developed. vithin _the campo. With the exception, of the- case of the
photographer, the incidents had very little to do with basic philosophy or

attitudes but revolved around personal irritations. The incidents have a num-
ber of. factors,- icommon:1-

1 No attempt was made by the injured parties to confront the

offendex.. directly.

20  In..spite .of obviously....hostile. attitudes every attempt was

made. to maintaine-a tranquil and friendly atmosphere

3. The first impulse..in resolving tbe problem was to refer it

either to the management or to the political structure of
the camp.,

One -can theorize from these facts ..that .the political -administrative

organzation .of. the nudiat camp serves not only -an orgnizational and directive
function, but is. in fact a channel for ggreaslve ..impulaesk. Where some type
Of aggrielsie behavior involving direct.. confrontation.is. necessary, *s in the
case of the tattooed man, the role of aggressor appears to have  een iti-
tutionalized in.. the- nag.rand. hia wifeo

Summary and.-Disc. aiol.n

A nudist camp. -is a. social..grou..marked by a highly specialized value

.o.riantation...toward. thee..xepoaure of.the body, and because of this divergency

its. members. are .spatially.ad. .ideologically. cut off..from.full participation
in the .larger American society, at least part of the, time  ..Because the

continued existence of. nudism depends..on thee willinges, of the larger society
to, permit the exercise of. thesei divergent activites it is necessary for the

nudist movement to attempt to relate to that society whenever possible and to

suppress hostility directed toward the latter. Because the appeals to potential

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members are based largely- on the fact that there is an absence of interpersonal

tension in a nudist camp, open hostility and aggression of even a mild sort would
tend to discourage new members and slow or even stop the growth of the move-
menat

There is greater intimacy within the nudist camp than in a similar vacation
spot in the clothed world. as a result of semi-permanent residence patterns, the

physical isolation of the camp, and the very nature -of nudist activity which iso-
la tes.nudists from the rest of the world- Potential conflict must be repressed
severely lest it rupture- the relationships and stability of this intimate group.
However, conflict potentials do, develop within the nudist camp which, if not

expressed, would certainly develop a frustration which in itself would be dis-
functional.

The solutionm is to diaguise conflict and aggressive impulses in behavioral
forms not comnly thought of as reflecting hostility, or in ones in which con-

flict can be- permitted without disrupting the general pattern of tranquil relation-
ships among members. In the case of the nudist it appears that the political-
adminiatrative structure of the orgnization hs been used for this purpose.

By.br.ing..situations directly into the political arena the nudist avoids
direct confrontation of the object of his aggressive impulses. Moreover, it is
possible within this framework to discuss the matter in terms of issues about

conduct- rather than in terma of specific- behav-ior or specilfic individuals 0 Thus

in the.matter of the. photographer te heated membership meeting allowed the problem
to be discussed as a question of rules about cameras rather than as a remedy for

a particular violation. In effect, te nudist is doing precisely wiat the average
citizen calls for wken he expresses hie frustration and irritation by saying,
"There ought to be. a law 00o

Up to no the.. disausin      dealt with the mechanisms of channeling con-

flict within.te.tM anudat.,-  .There rmains the-question of how conflict contri-
butes to the, strength of the Fudiset group, particularly in light of the fact that

such ?onflict would Almost always be in contradiction of expressed nudist philoso-
phy. It appears to the writer that conflict makes two major contributions without
which the nudist movement could, not. survive

The basic views of what is proper or moral behavior vary widely among nudists,
and serve as potential sources of conflict. But, on the other hand, when the

nudists' s hred belief -in the benefit of nudst activity 1s threatened, it is these
very divergent values .hich can be aet.aside to enable the broup to form a common
front. This propositin.1is beat.-illustrted on a national level. The two major
nudist. orgernizations resulted from a schism which occurred because of basic

differences ain philoaophy,-and extremely heated personal animosities. Although
these differences still exist, both groups tend to cooperate whenever nudism is
threatened  as by the arrest of nudists under indecent exposure statutes, or by
attempts to- suppress nudist publications as obscene. Then the outer boundaries
of the movement are drawn, the lines beyond which the factional differences are
irrelevant because. the rest of the world seems to oppose all nud isme

A second function of conflict is the provision of leadershipO By and large

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the activlties -of the average -nudist camp' require little-- ggr-eive leadership.

While- newmembers' are- welcomed and anyone displaying intneret 1s earnestly solicited,
membership drives are not practical. Since most nudist-. campa are located in areas
*hsetbAr is little local opposition', leadership in the legal defense of nudist

activity is largely' uncalled for on the local level  The normal activites of nudist
camps,asports field days, and "festivals" require a certain degree of organization,
but' iarl-- tax the abilities' of the dynamic leaders On 'the national level. however,
a -certair number of" 'aggressive, hard-working and enthuslastic nufist leaders are
ese ntial. These people bind together the various camps and- clubs, carry legal

-battles' from -the local courts, to the. higher levels of te -Judicial system, organize
active public relations campaigns, communicate with nudists in other countries, and,
in g   l, give nudism' the appearnace of a genuine social movement.

Such leaders would find little inspiration in the routine legislative and

administrative taesks of a nudist camp if it were not for the underlying tension

'endered"' by the cbxcaneling of interpersonal conflict into the political sphere0
Pot example, iff the question of the photographer hbad -first -been handled by per-

sfl.1 confrontation and- only later by an attempt to formulate rules, it is doubtful
that the meeting called on the subject would have been so emoti-onlly cbarged.

It isthe writer's opinion tbat these personalities which respond to -conflict find
satisfaction In the political activities offered by the nudist camp and develop
Into the leaders needed on the area and national levels to turn nudist activity
into a nudist movement

*+** ** *** **

NOTES

1o   This paper is the result of an independent research project carried out by

the writer and his wife from March to September, 1957. The writer is indebted

to Dr. Robert F. Murphy of the University of California whose suggestions shaped
the direction of the study but who should not be considered responsible for
the form of the paper or the- conclusions drawn. The writer is also indebted
to the many nudists and nudist leaders, both local and national, whose open
and friendly cooperation made- it possible to investigate the subject.

2.   On special days when nudists, in deference to the non-nudists present, don

clothing..

3. This is not to imply that the nudists were wasting time or engaging in any

self-deception. The issues were important to them, largely, the writer
feels , because they were -serving as8 channels for aggressive impulses.

4-.  The criteria for juding what is a proper or improper nude picture is more

complicated within the nudist world than in the clothed world. It is hoped

that it will be the subject of a further paper stemming from this study of the
nudist movement.

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