Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues

Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues
Cover
Editors William Paul
James D. Weinrich
John C. Gonsiorek
Mary E. Hotvedt
Country United States
Language English
Subject Homosexuality
Publisher SAGE Publications
Publication date
 1982
Media type Print (Hardcover)
Pages 416
ISBN 0-8039-1825-9

Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues is a 1982 book edited by the psychologist William Paul, the sex researcher James D. Weinrich, the psychologist John C. Gonsiorek, and the anthropologist Mary E. Hotvedt.

Background

The book was a report of the Task Force on Sexual Orientation to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, a division of the American Psychological Association.[1]

Summary

The book is a collection of articles about homosexuality, discussing the topic from perspectives drawn from the social and biological sciences, and also including contributions relevant to social issues and questions of public policy.[2] It includes discussions of the relevance of hormonal evidence and evolutionary biology to understanding homosexuality.[3][4]

Publication history

Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues was published in 1982 by SAGE Publications.[5]

Reception

Gay media

Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues was reviewed by the philosopher Frederick Suppe in The Advocate.[6] Weinrich was interviewed about his views in The Advocate.[7]

Scientific and academic journals

Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues received a mixed review from Tony M. Coxton in Sociology of Health and Illness.[8] The book was also reviewed by Peter M. Davies in Sociology.[9]

Coxton considered the book valuable given the expertise of its authors and the eminence of its sponsors, but wrote that the claim that it was "unique and extraordinary" overstated its importance, since it failed to present "a major synthesis or new perspective on the social scientific study of homosexuality". However, he found its approach "refreshingly accepting of gay identity and lifestyle", welcomed the "contributions from gay social scientists", and wrote that it contained "some very insightful and interesting papers" and "does not duck political issues of the responsibility that social science professional organizations have to gay people, as to other minorities." He considered the "most relevant and interesting" contributions to be the assessments of the hormonal and sociobiological explanations of homosexuality. Though he found it regrettable, he predicted that because of "entrenched homophobia" among psychiatrists and the "moral panic over AIDS", the book was unlike to have more than "a marginal impact on social science."[8]

Evaluations in books

Jeffrey Z. Rubin, writing in the foreword to Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues, described it as a "unique and extraordinary book".[10] Gonsiorek, writing in the preface to Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy (1991), an anthology he edited with Weinrich, stated that while the editors of Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues had hoped that its information would "remain current for some decades, but that the need for it would lessen after the public policy debates had been resolved", the opposite occurred. According to Gonsiorek, Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy was produced as an update to the older volume, which had become dated.[11]

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ De Cecco 1982, p. 15.
  2. ↑ Paul & Weinrich 1982, p. 19.
  3. ↑ Gartrell 1982, pp. 169–182.
  4. ↑ Kirsch & Rodman 1982, pp. 183–195.
  5. ↑ Paul et al. 1982, p. 4.
  6. ↑ Suppe 1983, p. 74.
  7. ↑ Thompson 1983, p. 47.
  8. 1 2 Coxton 1985, pp. 121–122.
  9. ↑ Davies 1984, pp. 146–147.
  10. ↑ Rubin 1982, p. 9.
  11. ↑ Gonsiorek & Weinrich 1991, pp. vii–viii.

Bibliography

Books

  • De Cecco, John P.; Paul, William, Editor; Weinrich, James D., Editor; Gonsiorek, John C., Editor; Hotvedt, Mary E., Editor (1982). Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1825-9.
  • Gartrell, Nanette K.; Paul, William, Editor; Weinrich, James D., Editor; Gonsiorek, John C., Editor; Hotvedt, Mary E., Editor (1982). Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1825-9.
  • Gonsiorek, John C.; Weinrich, James D. (1991). Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-3764-4.
  • Kirsch, John A. W.; Rodman, James Eric; Paul, William, Editor; Weinrich, James D., Editor; Gonsiorek, John C., Editor; Hotvedt, Mary E., Editor (1982). Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1825-9.
  • Paul, William; Weinrich, James D.; Gonsiorek, John C.; Hotvedt, Mary E. (1982). Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues. London: SAGE Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1825-9.
  • Paul, William; Weinrich, James D.; Paul, William, Editor; Weinrich, James D., Editor; Gonsiorek, John C., Editor; Hotvedt, Mary E., Editor (1982). Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1825-9.
  • Rubin, Jeffrey Z.; Paul, William, Editor; Weinrich, James D., Editor; Gonsiorek, John C., Editor; Hotvedt, Mary E., Editor (1982). Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1825-9.
Journals

  • Coxton, Tony (1985). "Homosexuality: Social, Psychological and Biological Issues/The Married Homosexual Man: a psychological study (Book)". Sociology of Health and Illness. 7 (1).  – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required)
  • Davies, Peter M. (1984). "Homosexuality. Social, Psychological and Biological Issues/The Married Homosexual Man: A Psychological Study". Sociology. 18 (1).  – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required)
  • Suppe, Frederick (1983). "Homosexuality: Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues (Book)". The Advocate (360).  – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required)
  • Thompson, Mark (1983). "Sociobiologist James Weinrich probing the puzzle". The Advocate (378).  – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.