Draft 2: The Future Of Sexuality in America

This topic submitted by Amy Jones, Sarah Mack, Florence Heinen ( macksa@muohio.edu, heinenf@yahoo.co ) on 3/15/05. [ Human Nature Team: Amy Jones, Sarah Mack, Florence Heinen-Section: Cummins/Wolfe]

Amy Jones
Florence Heinen
Sarah Mack

The Future of Sexuality in America
Introduction:
Are we able to analyze past patterns of recognition of homosexuals in various cultures to make an approximation as to American societyÕs future views on homosexuality? We hypothesize that ideologies about sexuality, with a focus on homosexuality, have gone through a change, especially in the past century, due to the impact of pop culture. Therefore, if we observe patterns of historical sexual dogmas and behaviors and place these within the context of modern day pop culture we can make predictions about the future course of homosexuality and the ideologies associated with it. An interdisciplinary approach will be taken by studying historical, cross-cultural, and biological approaches to sexuality to determine whether or not there are distinct patterns that can be used to make a predication.
The study of sexuality, particularly homosexuality, is fundamental to the nature of human nature because humans are sexual beings and we must emphasize the importance of understanding different facets of sexualities to further the analysis of how they are constructed. We intend on examining various theories about human nature, ranging from ancient Greece to the present, particularly from the social and biological perspectives.
With an extensive study of the history of sexuality in various cultures, the biological means of sexuality, and the present ideologies we will produce timeline that illustrates how the repression and acceptance of sexualities have transformed from century to century, place to place, in the hope of being able to hypothesize the future course of sexual ideologies.
In Nature of Human Nature we have already discussed the biological nature of human sexuality, sexual selectiveness, and the evolution of our species in relation to our sexual nature. Our research on the human evolution of sexuality will be a continuation of biological and culture design that creates sexuality, as we know it today. Taking into consideration that little is known about the nature of homosexuality, we will tie what we know from the course, through scholars and scientists, to our research to have a better understanding of the future for homosexuality.

Relevance of your Research Question:
As a group, we have selected diverse book and internet sources from which to draw our data from. A close analysis of these sources will provide conclusive knowledge of sexuality from a biological, social, and cultural context. Listed below are the sources.

True Nature: A Theory of Sexual Attraction (2000) Michael R. Kauth
This book discusses why and how sexuality occurs, the stigmas Western society has placed upon sexuality, especially homosexuality. Kauth explores the socialization involved in sexuality, the evolutionary foundation. It addresses both the biological and the social contexts in which sexuality is discussed, tying them together and backing theories with scientific proof.

Studies in the Psychology of Sex: Sexual Inversion (1914) Havelock Ellis
Ellis offers a very conservative view of sexuality and especially homosexuality, which is to be expected for the period of time this book was written in. It offers good insight to the attitudes towards both sexuality and homosexuality at the time.

Sex, Sexuality, and the Anthropologist (1999) Markowitz and Ashkenazi
This book largely discusses research methods used in anthropology regarding sexuality and our (Western Culture) interpretation of it. Various cultures throughout the world, ranging from Mexico to Australia and various parts of Asia, are explored. This book focuses more on sexuality rather than homo- and heterosexuality.

Self, Sex, and Gender in Cross-Cultural Fieldwork (1986) Tony Larry Whitehead and Mary Ellen Conaway
Whitehead and Conaway discuss sexuality in both homo- and heterosexual terms. The book is looking at sexuality in a global context, examining gender roles and gender conflicts in various societies, sexual segregation as well as sex biases and gender biases. This is done through the in depth research of many cultures and societies across the globe.

The Future of Sexual Relations (1974) Editing by Robert T. and Anna K. Francoeur
This book illustrates specific American ideologies of heterosexuality, and homosexuality and detailed the prediction of the progression of sexuality in specific terms of our technologies, images and models of sex, marriage, the future of parent hood, psychological reverberations, and androgyny-our future human-hood.

American Sexual Politics (1993) Edited by John C Fout and Maura Shaw Tantillo
Fout and Tantillo constructed a wide breadth of articles into this book. These articles construct the American ideologies of womenÕs and menÕs sexuality in America from the 18th century until the late 20th century. Homosexuality is touched on as well as heterosexuality, and the sexual revolutions involved throughout the times.

Sex and the Gender Revolution (1998) Randolph Trumbach
Sex issues and Gender issues in England, Greece, South Asia, Italy and Australia are discussed in great detail. The changes in norms of sexuality change throughout the revolutionary time when ideas and definitions of genders arose.

Variant Lifestyles and Relationships (1989) Bram P. Buunk and Barry van Driel
A detailed description of homosexuality and statistics can be found in this text. It is very useful in defining homosexuality, the societal context, varieties of homosexual lifestyles the development of homosexuality, characteristics of homosexuality, and negative aspects of being homosexual.

Sexualities and Pop Culture (1998) Carl B. Holmberg
Holmberg discusses the rise of womenÕs perceived sexuality and how it paralleled with the rise of feminism. Homosexuality is also mentioned in context to the rise of the term "homosexual" and the stigmas that followed. Historical aspects of sexuality in India, the Himalayas, and China are reflected in the artifacts found from the past. Holmberg takes a look at these artifacts, and analyzed how the cultures perceived sexuality.

Sex and the New Morality (1968) Fredrick C. Wood
This book addresses many regarding sexuality, including homosexuality. It also has sections that may be useful regarding sexuality and identity, sexual morality, old and new moralities, morality and belief, sex and marriage (specifically in unconventional forms), and finally sections on homosexuality and heterosexuality in their unconventional forms. This book explores a new way of looking at sexuality that was revolutionary for the time period in which it was written. Though this is not the most modern book on sexuality it will help complete the timeline of human sexuality. This book is a cultural and historical perspective.

Sexual Culture in Ancient Greece (2000) Daniel H. Garrison
Sexual Cultural in Ancient Greece provides a comprehensive, current view of exactly what the title states. This book will open the timeline of human sexual history. It will address such topics as religion, coming of age, homosexuality between men, and athletes. It also addresses social class and homosexuality, sex for pleasure, bisexuality, sex customs in cults, and sexual taboos. This will be a very important book in our research on the history of sexuality, homosexuality, and a cultural custom from several thousand years ago.

Studies in Christian Ethics: Sexual Ethics Volume 4 Number 2. (1991) T & T Clark. "Same- Sex Relationships" Jim Cotter
This is an essay from the semi- annual Christian magazine called Studies in Christian Ethics. It will provide an ideology about sexuality from a current influential religion. This will explore the way religion affects cultural beliefs, values, and morals. This article addresses the vital issue of sex, procreation, and enjoyment. This article proposes a very different viewpoint than most religious organizations.

Our Sexual Evolution (1971) Helen Colton
This book addresses some very fundamental questions that we have about human sexuality, such as, "How attitudes about sex develop?" It also talks about bisexuality, civil rights for homosexuals, gay liberation movements, guilty feelings relating to homosexuality, sex attitudes (acquisition and religious), sexuality in general, lesbianism, parental attitudes. This book will be of great use to us in understanding where attitudes about sexuality come from and how they impact humans.

America Now (1981) Marvin Harris
Addresses the question of my there are more people being openly homosexual. How society and cultural has changed over the past few decades to become more accepting to a wider range of sexual orientations. Changes in literature and entertainment have affected the manner in which we few sexuality.

The Trouble with Nature: Sex in Science and Popular Culture (2003) Roger N. Lancaster
This book addresses the question of sexuality and homosexuality from both a cultural and biological point of view. A much more contemporary view is offered in this work as opposed to some of out other choices, which we are using as historical references.

Online References:
OhioLink Electronic Reference books-
Gay and Lesbian Issues: A Reference Handbook by Chuck Stewart. ABC/ CLIO,
Inc. 2003
This online reference book provides a history of gay and lesbian issues prior to the nineteenth century, various and multiple cultures and the way they have viewed homosexuality over the course of history. It also provides a history of problems, controversies and solutions pertaining to homosexuality, and a history of gay rights movements. This book also includes many biographical sketches of homosexual persons from history. This book will include cultural and historical approaches to human homosexuality.

OhioLink Electronic Reference Books-
Homosexuality and the Law: A Dictionary by Chuck Stewart. ABC/ CLIO, Inc. 2001
This online book is an insight into the way our society views sex, sexuality, and homosexuality. One point of interest regarding this book is the list of "absurd" laws it provides. This is an enormous clue as to the way American (and foreign) policy makers view sex, sexuality, and homosexuality.

OhioLink Electronic Reference books-
Diverse Sexuality in Schools: A Reference Handbook
Addressing issues such as, coming out of the closet, to the homophobic nature of schools, this book will provide a look into a very transitional time period in humansÕ psychological development that can have lifelong impacts on their views of sexuality. This resource will touch on a biological piece of homosexuality along with cultural links.

American Psychological Association Online-
www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html- "Answers to Your Questions about Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality.
This website provides psychological answers to questions pertaining to various aspects of sexuality. Questions ranging from "Is sexual orientation a choice?" to overcoming prejudices against homosexuality are addressed at this website. This can provide a current look at the way American society views homosexuality along with an historical perspective.

"Human Sexuality," Microsoft¨ Encarta¨ Online Encyclopedia 2005
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
And
"Homosexuality," Microsoft¨ Encarta¨ Online Encyclopedia 2005
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
These two online encyclopedic articles will provide factual information in several contexts about sexuality and homosexuality. An important piece of our research is defining sexuality, homosexuality and heterosexuality. These articles will provide a basis for our research.

Interdisciplinary Approach:
We will begin our research with a scientific overview of sex, sexuality, and what it means to be homo and heterosexual. Drawing from biological theories, our group will compare the findings of varying scientist to generate a comprehensive analysis. The information will be used in comparing the sexualities of the cultures we examined.
Drawing from previous studies on the sexuality of Italian, Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, American, African, Mexican, Japanese, Austrian, Himalayan, English, Taiwanese, German, Native American, Polynesian, Indian, and Asiatic Eskimo, Amazon, China, Russian cultures, we will compile a timeline relating similar cultural perceptions of sexuality and applying them to test our overall hypothesis.
A study of social expectations, social norms, religious ideologies, and other discourses will provide a wider breadth of knowledge for us to examine our posed question.

A Specific Research Design:
We intend to conduct this research by a related study of sexuality throughout time. We will do this by examining data going back several decades to present time. We will then do an elaborate analysis of the data in order to either prove of disprove our hypothesis that ideologies about sexuality, with a focus in homosexuality, have gone through evolutions in the course of history. Therefore, if we observe patterns of sexual dogmas and behaviors, we would be able to predict the evolutionary direction of contemporary American views of sexuality. This will be done through extensive research, a compilation of data acquired by a large array of scientists over the past century, and a comparison of surveys conducted in the past decades and the present one. We will closely look at the ideologies associated with sexuality, in both the homosexual and heterosexual sense. By reviewing the literature of the time we will be able to acquire a good grip of the social, cultural, and scientific beliefs associated with sexuality and more specifically homosexuality in that time period. An analysis of previously acquired data will allow us to put hard numbers to these believes and show the evolution that has occurred over time, in both a global sense and with an in depth look at the United States.

Materials and Methods:
Because we will be re-administering another survey about sexuality and homosexuality we will only need limited materials. We will be utilizing a copy machine, paper, pencils, and a computer to compile the data. We do not have a sample survey at this point because locating pertinent historical surveys about sexuality and homosexuality will be a large portion of the research constituting our project.
Together, our group will compile a survey based on a previous survey. Each person will be responsible for administering the survey to a specified number of people with in a specific time frame. After all surveys are complete we will bring our data together and interpret it as a group to place our findings within the context of our research to discover the answer to our hypothesis.
Our data sheet will be created following the compilation of the survey questions.
Our timeline will follow this schedule (approximately):
Throughout the semester- general research
Week of March 21st- Compile data collected and begin to interpret
Week of March 28th- Project draft due; correct any problems
Week of April 11th- finalize research and complete project
April 22nd- Project Reports due in class
Week of April 25th- Present projects for class

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