...a special reference to the ancient world and to other cultures. To what extent does the social understanding of sexuality in the ancient world and in other cultures illustrate the notion that heterosexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality are cultural constructions? Devote most of your paper to offering a clear explanation of the concepts, and only a final section (no more than 20% of your paper) to your critical assessment. Homosexuality behavior varies from culture to culture, but it is heavily practiced in the Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands and native America. The three basic forms of sexual practices that are known around the world are transgenerational, transgenderal, and egalitarian. Transgenerational is the sexual practice in which the people involved in sexual intercourse have a different or often large age gap, in transgenderal the individuals are of the opposite gender, and in egalitarian the partners are socially viewed the as the same gender (Grenberg pg.2). In cultures like the Coerunas Indians of Brazil, the homosexuality that was practiced heavily was trangenerational. Older men healers in these societies would consider it a ritual and a common way of life, to take a young boy healer into the forest for a long period of time to engage in sexual activity for the purpose of transferring his special powers into the boy. In a number of New Guinea cultures like the In the other cultures,what cultures? an older man, married or not married, was expected to take...
Words: 1576 - Pages: 7
...perpetuates repressive and oppressive social institutions, value systems and codes of behaviour surrounding the homosexual subject. It will be suggested that the generic conventions of horror films sustain repressive understandings of the normative order which position the homosexual subject as a threatening ‘other’. This essay will offer the opinion that it is through these representations that the horror genre produces the ideological figure of the ‘monstrous homosexual’. The discourses and ideologies explored will primarily be those relating to coding of the homosexual subject as predator and paedophile. This essay will engage with genre theory in order to demonstrate how narrative repetition in the horror genre mediates the homosexual subject as a disruption to the social order which must be eliminated in order to restore the heteronormative order. The methodology of genre theory will first be outlined, and the generic conventions of the horror film will be explored. The methodology of discourse analysis will also be employed in order to expose the ideologies at play in the case study. This essay will take Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm St II: Freddy’s Revenge as a case study in the examination of the oppressive and repressive social institutions, value systems and codes of behaviour which are perpetuated by the horror genre with regard to the figure of the ‘monstrous homosexual’. In order to explore the ways in which the horror genre perpetuates repressive structures regarding...
Words: 2857 - Pages: 12
...Homosexuality: A Case of Nature versus Nurture By Robert L Smith Instructor: Mr. Simbarashe Chiduma A RESEARCH PAPER Submitted to Baker College in partial fulfillment of requirements For class: Soc 201 Winter 2012 Homosexual is defined as: “of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex” (Webster’s Dictionary, 4th ed., 2003) The nature approach is based on a chance that humans are born with a specific gene that determines if they will be homosexual. "In other words, some people are born gay." (Johnson, 2003) The nurture approach tells that people are influenced by their surroundings. In this approach, "A nurtured gay person is one that is 'made' gay." (Johnson, 2003) Originally the American Psychological Association (APA) had deemed homosexuality a mental disease. The debate now- a-days revolve around if sexuality is based on nature, a person’s environment, or based on nurture, a person’s upbringing. Alfred Kinsey pioneered one of the earliest experiments in the 1930s. Kinsey’s research resulted in little besides putting the word homosexual into the common language. Karen Hooker completed the first psychological test in 1957. The research was put together to investigate the relationship between homosexuality, psychological development, and illness. The subjects were given three tests, the Rorschach, TAT, and MAPS. She determined that there was no link between social determinism of sexuality...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...convince you that gay marriage, in other word, marriage of the same sex or homosexual marriage should be legalized worldwide. So, what is homosexual? I’m sure you heard of Elton John or Adam Lambert. Well, they are examples of homosexuals. According to the formal definition by Merriam–Webster, the term homosexual is defined as “of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same gender.” Putting it in another way, means that men will have sexual desire towards men, and women will have passion towards women. The most common term for homosexual is gay for men, and lesbian for women. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, a sexual orientation law and public policy think tank, estimates that 9 million that is about 3.8% of Americans identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (2011). They are many more around the world. Until now, there are only a few countries in the world that allows homosexual marriage like Netherlands and Belgium. Unfortunately, homosexuals are treated like a crime or an illness. Therefore, I’m here to convince you otherwise. Homosexual marriage is no different from heterosexual marriage. My first reason for supporting homosexual marriage is that homosexuality is not a mental or emotional disorder. I repeat, it is not a mental or emotional disorder which means that it is not a disease. Research suggests that the homosexual orientation is in...
Words: 1058 - Pages: 5
...marry, while others are being denied. The veil of ignorance is set upon many people when it comes to the decision of the legalization of gay marriage. Why should it matter if the couple is heterosexual or homosexual when it comes to making decisions for their other partner? Unmarried partners are denied the rights in making decisions with their partner, as well as being in a situation that only family can be in a certain place. Little by little insurance companies and many others are beginning to allow the partners of homosexual couples be put onto the other partners insurance, giving them the opportunity of help, as an illusion of marriage, although it is not legal to actually be married. What is marriage? One can look up the definition, but what marriage really is, is not what a dictionary shows. The meaning of marriage should be more obvious than what it is brought out to be. The true meaning of marriage consists of sexual intimacy (which both heterosexual and homosexual couples can achieve); the couple’s mutual effort in dealing with economic and domestic necessities of life, and it is most importantly, a mutual long-term commitment between both partners for a sustainable relationship/marriage. Same sex couples have the same interests that opposite sex marriages desire. Therefore, being denied the right to marry the person they love, the person they will live with for the rest of their lives, is unjust. Gay marriage has not (and will not) have a negative effect in the states...
Words: 1035 - Pages: 5
...THE BLESSING IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH LOGIC THOUGHTS “SHOULD HOMOSEXUALS BE ABLE TO MARRY?” Karrie Cheek Philosophy 103 Informal Logic Logic: An Introduction Professor Hughes November 11, 2011 THE BLESSING IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH LOGIC THOUGHTS “SHOULD HOMOSEXUALS BE ABLE TO MARRY?” I. The leading cause for counter argument throughout this paper purpose directs focus amongst arguments’ opposing flawed general hasting reasoning toward slippery slopes the human kind sees logical presenting why homosexuals should not be able to marry. II. The political fight for homosexual marriage is important not in the reasoning surrounding the topic that homosexuals should be able to marry. A. Marriage wrap around the meaning of love. B. The topic children affected by homosexual parenting disputes raise issues. C. Homosexual civil rights is not being seen the same as heterosexuals. III. The author’s core elements in counter argument are deep-rooted opinions A. Marriage is love, B. Religion C. Effects raising children D. Homosexuals’ rights. IV. Civil rights applies different meaning defining marriage verses union A. Civil rights based on evidence. V. Author Conclusion Understanding Homosexual Issues Reasoning. A. Love, Honor, and Commitment develops a foundation providing reasoning for marital status. Even though as Author, I can understand the views opposing homosexuals’ marriage. As essayist of this paper, I do find further discussed...
Words: 3517 - Pages: 15
...romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex. "It also refers to an individual's sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them.’’(Giddes2009) The homosexuality rights leads to the formation of International Lesbian and Gay’s Association in 1978 in USA (ILGA). (Giddes1989) Transsexual is a process by which a person who strongly identifies with the opposite sex and may seek to as a member of this sex especially by undergoing surgery and hormone therapy to obtain a necessary physical appearance (as by changing the external sex organs). The most common terms for homosexual people are lesbian for females and gay for males, though gay is also used to refer generally to both homosexual males and females. The number of people who identify as gay or lesbian and the proportion of people who have same-sex sexual experiences are difficult for researchers to estimate reliably for a variety of reasons, including many gay people not openly identifying as such due to homophobia...
Words: 5399 - Pages: 22
...the twentieth century a divisive theological debate over homosexual behavior developed when gay activists created their own revisionist interpretation of the Bible to support their claim that homosexual behavior is neither immoral nor sinful. This revisionist theology has been labeled “gay theology.” Many Christians are not aware that in 1968 a gay activist started a Christian denomination called the Metropolitan Community Church based on gay theology. In this introduction I will point out some obvious errors in gay revisionist arguments and outline a much wider scope of biblical principles that are related to how the church deals with homosexuals and the gay political movement. Scripture and gay revisionism Gay activists contend there are only seven scriptures that address homosexuality in the Bible and therefore homosexual behavior is insignificant in scripture. Gay activists also contend that theologians have misinterpreted the seven scriptures. The seven main scriptures are the Genesis account of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), the Mosaic Law in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, the letter by Jude verse 7, and the Apostle Paul’s letters in Romans 1:26-7, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and 1 Timothy 1:9-10. Gay activists like to point out that none of these scripture references are in the first four books of the New Testament that record the direct teachings of Jesus. The gay argument is that since Jesus never mentioned homosexual behavior, it should not be considered immoral. That argument...
Words: 3990 - Pages: 16
..." The Gay Option" Draft 1 "Would conservative allies support us if we could help it (Fairyington50)? Quoted by Stephanie Fairyington, author of article "The Gay Option", enlightens ones of life, living in a world where acceptance of homosexuality is bias. Stephanie Fairyington, is cofounder and editor of The Slant and a freelance journalist in New York. Her article appeared in the Winter 2010 of Dissent as "Choice as Strategy: Homosexuality and Politics of Pity"(Fairyington56). The significance of this article speaks for a large number of individuals in the LGBT community by acknowledging homosexuality is not a genetic defect. It promotes acceptance of LGBT and encourages neutrality from heterosexuals. In the beginning of this article Fairyington...
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...Proposition Eight Karla Ballou Questions: 1. Using at least five scholarly articles, in addition to scripture, write a paper on how the appeal of Proposition 8 further expands the homosexual agenda in the United States. (The paper should use APA formatting, and be at least 3 double-spaced pages; 1” margins) Enclosed after #3 2. List the states in which same-sex marriages are recognized. In the United States same sex can legally marry in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont and Washington, DC. New York, California, Rhode Island, New Mexico and Washington, DC recognize marriages by same-sex couples legally performed elsewhere. California - With the passage of Prop 8, gay and lesbian couples who were married between June and November 2008 are still legally married, but no new legal marriages can be performed in California. 3. In one paragraph, write a statement that you would use to minister to an individual that wants to get further information on why homosexuality is an abomination. Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. Homosexuality is a sin of the flesh and carries a stiff penalty. Romans 1:24-28 tells us that God will give them up to uncleanness because of the lust in their hearts and for dishonoring...
Words: 1517 - Pages: 7
...Abstract For decades there has been an ongoing debate over whether being homosexual is genetic or a choice. After many researchers conducted a multitude of trials and test there is still no definitive answer to the question. Even after all the data that has been collected affirming that it is in fact genetic, there have been leaks found in those test that suggest there is some bias on the researchers part. A lot of the researchers who have conducted successful test are in fact homosexuals themselves. There have also been discoveries that complete information was disclosed at time of trials being conducted. So, instead of picking random people and conducting the trials, people where purposely chosen who were homosexual prior to the beginning of testing. Homosexuality: Is it a Choice? Sexual orientation has to do with the sex of our preferred sex partner. It is the trait that predisposes us to experience sexual attraction to people of the same sex ourselves (homosexual, gay, or lesbian) to persons of the other sex (heterosexual or straight), or to both sexes (bisexual) (Simon, 2011). There have been a multitude of studies and research done on homosexuality and whether it is in fact an act based on biological, social or psychological stimulus (Knight, 2000). Since the early 1990s, there have been activist arguing that scientific research has proven homosexuality has a direct link to genetics or hormonal causes. Sexual orientation studies have been conducted on everything from eye-blinking...
Words: 2709 - Pages: 11
...Causes of Homosexuality Alan Hardy Liberty University Abstract The purpose of this research is to provide an in depth look at the causes of homosexuality. Homosexuality has had a strong presence throughout history and many ancient civilizations openly engaged in homosexual activity. Currently, all research seems to conclude that there is no universal accepted truth as to why homosexuality exists, but many researchers agree that there are certain experiences and situations that tend to contribute to homosexual behavior. This research paper explores numerous contributing factors that are thought to raise the likelihood of someone becoming a homosexual. Readers will be interested to explore the core argument of biological and genetic makeup versus arguments of nature. Numerous studies and experiments help support both sides of the argument, but neither side is able to produce irrefutable evidence naming a direct cause of homosexuality. This research paper serves as a way for individuals interested in the causes of homosexuality to explore numerous viewpoints, stereotypes, and unbiased valid information on the topic. This research could be used to help individuals understand why homosexuality exists in today’s society. Causes of Homosexuality Homosexuality is perhaps one of the most misunderstood realities within today’s society. There are many people that view it as disgusting, unnatural and taboo. Others claim to support the right to love whomever with little or no understanding...
Words: 3649 - Pages: 15
...rests on a certain view that the world has a rational order with values and purposes built into its very nature. And since homosexuality is against the orders of nature, the natural law theory totally condemns it. I disagree with this point of view because I choose not to judge homosexuals but instead I accept them as members of our society. Middle Eastern societies do not accept homosexuals because their beliefs are against it, but sometimes different behaviors can add to the diversity in a society. We should not let homosexuals feel like they are being looked down upon or treated differently than any other human being. Rather, we should try to understand the basis of their behavior and take consideration into the causes that led these people to practice homosexuality. Some causes are social while others are biological. There may have been many social causes or experiences that might have lead to homosexual behavior. The main biological cause for homosexuality has been identified to be related to the abnormally high levels of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen. Also there have been studies indicating that some parts of the brain that control attitude and behavior are slightly smaller in homosexual males compared to normal male brains. Homosexuality is a very debatable issue and some people view it as morally wrong and others such as myself don’t. According to the natural law theory, everything in nature has a purpose just as Aristotle believed. For example, the rain...
Words: 1511 - Pages: 7
...expression of feelings. whether heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual involved in the metabolic processes of the brain and body. a. Heterosexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to the opposite sex. b. Homosexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to the same sex. c. Bisexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to same and opposite sex. 2. Sexual orientation describes the direction and focus of sexual and emotional attractions experienced by a person. a. Sexual direction and focus b. Emotional attraction and focus B. Many myths surrounding homosexuality exist and they need to be corrected. Here are five essential myths (First subordinate idea). 1. Perhaps the most destructive is the beliefs that homosexuals are child molesters. a. A homosexual can molest a child. b. A heterosexual can molest a chld. 2. The belief that homosexuals are promiscuous and incapable of long-term committed monogamous relationships. c. This is a general statement that shows no knowledge of this particular population. d. All sexual orientations share the capacity for long-term committed relationships as well as meaningless, sexual encounters. HOMOSEXUALITY AND CHRISTIANITY 4 3. Many point to unhealthy parent/child relationship as the cause of homosexuality. a. A dominant mother with...
Words: 2970 - Pages: 12
...disturbed by the very existence of intersex individuals – as they cannot be placed into 100% male or 100% female on a binary scale. One of the areas where intersex has caused complications is in organized sports, specifically the Olympics. Since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) requires athletes to be divided into men and women in the various events, the interjection of intersex individuals causes complications with the preexisting system. In societies worldwide, many people are conditioned to believe there are only two genders. However, to many other people this is a misinformed view. In reality there are people who believe that there are hundreds of societies on a world wide level that recognize genders outside the gender binary according to PBS's Independent Lens program. In this essay, I’ll look at how broadly defined groups of family life, the media, work, and politics play in the current gender differences in America, as well as if the Binary Constructions of sex, gender and sexuality are useful or sufficient for understanding human behavior, life and human desire. Before continuing, it is important to define gender itself. It seems clear that gender is not fixed at birth, nor is it limited to just two categories. In addition, gender cannot be defined as biological, one’s genitalia, appearance, natural, only male or...
Words: 3524 - Pages: 15
