Wow. When you ask a question, you mean business. This is quite fascinating to ponder on, actually. And I'm going to throw my thoughts out there- not that I have so much to offer, but simply because I can...open forum and all.

In my opinion, there is a difference in each of the terms you mentioned. And whether they have a place in a BDSM relationship would be decided by the persons involved, I suppose. Since to my way of thinking there are differences, the definitions would vary. (I'll be using M/f examples, not to leave anyone out, but because it's what I know.)

Humiliation, in my less than experienced point of view, is more for the mutual enjoyment of a Dominant and a submissive. For example, the Dominant likes to show his submissive off. The submissive enjoys being shown off. To flavor that up a bit, the Dominant require his sub to go sans panties while wearing that too short skirt, knowing what will happen and what will be seen when she so much as leans forward half an inch. Sure, she's going to groan out loud when she has to bend over and basically expose herself, but she's getting off on it, too. From my submissive perspective, I think humiliation is a necessary component in a BDSM relationship, when used to ascribe the power a Dominant has over his submissive. Well, it would be for me, anyway.

Degredation, again from my perspective, is humiliation but with misery thrown in the mix. Misery for the submissive, that is. This wouldn't be just for the double fun of it. My definition has it leaning more towards punishment- not a flirty, easy spanking type punishment, but something more sinister, something meant to teach a harsh lesson. I think it would depend on the dynamic of the D/s relationship as to how and when this was utilized.

Objectification, when done sexually, is to see someone as only a sexual, well, object. It could be the whole person is viewed as such- the term 'fuck-toy' comes to mind. So does "just a hole to fuck". Or perhaps this is where specific body part fetishes come into play- foot fetish, breast fetish- whatever particular fetish it may be. There is also the idea of treating the person as an actual object- submissive used as a table or a chair, maybe as a coat rack? The ideas are only limited to the imagination and the willingness of the participants.

Dehumanization is objectification gone very, very wrong. My opinion, remember? My definition for this term means to strip a person of his or her inherent worth, all while psychologically tearing that person down and leaving a soul feeling worthless, less than nothing even. As I see it, this has no place in any type relationship as its only purpose is to harm and damage.

Thank you for this question, TDS! I look forward to reading yours and others' responses.

tessa