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Homosexual Behavior
Essays reassess homosexuality from the perspectives of biology, history, sociology, and clinical psychology, with an emphasis on recent opinion
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
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August 13, 2024
AN UPDATING AND EXPANSION OF AN EARLIER BOOK OF DIVERSE ESSAYS
Judd Marmor wrote in the Preface to this 1980 book, "This book attempts to bring to the reader a compendium of the most advanced knowledge and thinking that presently exists on the subject of homosexual reactions and behaviors in both men and women. A previous volume, 'Sexual Inversion: the Multiple Roots of Homosexuality,' published in 1956, represented a similar effort. In the intervening years, however, there have been considerable advances in our understanding of the homosexual experience---biologically, sociologically, culturally... My basic orientation to the subject continues to be a multifactorial one..."
He adds, "the `model' of a popular homosexual teacher can never `cause' homosexuality to develop in any child of either sex whose programming... is proceeding along heterosexual lines. The only effect that exposure to homosexual teachers can have on heterosexual children ... is to create more tolerance and understanding toward homosexuals as people..." (Pg. 20)
On essayist observed, "Just as harsh laws apparently did not prevent homosexuality, lenient laws did not foster it.... Napoleon's civil code decriminalized consenting adult homosexual acts... Many people predicted gay orgies in the streets and the death of the family. They were, of course, disappointed. Homosexuality did not become noticeably more common or more open." (Pg. 93)
Marmor adds in a later essay, "it may well be that a substantial factor in homosexual promiscuity rests on sociological rather than psychodynamic factors. Is there any reason to doubt that if heterosexual exchanges were as easily available as most homosexual ones, that heterosexual men would be just as promiscuous? Indeed, the advent of the pill... has, in fact, led to an enormous increase in heterosexual promiscuity." (Pg. 270)
Other essayists observe, "homosexual women suffer significantly more from excessive alcohol use and abuse than heterosexual women. Close to one-fourth of homosexual women report patterns of alcohol use that are compatible with problem drinking." (Pg. 288) Another adds, "Alcoholism is found more frequently in homosexual than heterosexual groups... For some women homosexuality, like alcoholism, may represent an addiction. The lesbian community recognizes alcoholism as a serious problem." (Pg. 365)
This updating of the 1965 book was a welcome addition to the literature on this topic.
Judd Marmor wrote in the Preface to this 1980 book, "This book attempts to bring to the reader a compendium of the most advanced knowledge and thinking that presently exists on the subject of homosexual reactions and behaviors in both men and women. A previous volume, 'Sexual Inversion: the Multiple Roots of Homosexuality,' published in 1956, represented a similar effort. In the intervening years, however, there have been considerable advances in our understanding of the homosexual experience---biologically, sociologically, culturally... My basic orientation to the subject continues to be a multifactorial one..."
He adds, "the `model' of a popular homosexual teacher can never `cause' homosexuality to develop in any child of either sex whose programming... is proceeding along heterosexual lines. The only effect that exposure to homosexual teachers can have on heterosexual children ... is to create more tolerance and understanding toward homosexuals as people..." (Pg. 20)
On essayist observed, "Just as harsh laws apparently did not prevent homosexuality, lenient laws did not foster it.... Napoleon's civil code decriminalized consenting adult homosexual acts... Many people predicted gay orgies in the streets and the death of the family. They were, of course, disappointed. Homosexuality did not become noticeably more common or more open." (Pg. 93)
Marmor adds in a later essay, "it may well be that a substantial factor in homosexual promiscuity rests on sociological rather than psychodynamic factors. Is there any reason to doubt that if heterosexual exchanges were as easily available as most homosexual ones, that heterosexual men would be just as promiscuous? Indeed, the advent of the pill... has, in fact, led to an enormous increase in heterosexual promiscuity." (Pg. 270)
Other essayists observe, "homosexual women suffer significantly more from excessive alcohol use and abuse than heterosexual women. Close to one-fourth of homosexual women report patterns of alcohol use that are compatible with problem drinking." (Pg. 288) Another adds, "Alcoholism is found more frequently in homosexual than heterosexual groups... For some women homosexuality, like alcoholism, may represent an addiction. The lesbian community recognizes alcoholism as a serious problem." (Pg. 365)
This updating of the 1965 book was a welcome addition to the literature on this topic.
Displaying 1 of 1 review