Homosexuality within Sociological Perspective - Essay Example

Homosexuality within Sociological Perspective Abstract: The present paper aims to elaborate the popularity of homosexual orientation and relationships in the modern era in the wake of the civil rights granted to the people in respect of selecting their sex-partner(s) without taking his/her age, religion, ethnicity and racial background on the one side, and socioeconomic status and even gender on the other. The main reason behind selecting this issue as a topic for the present study includes its being accepted and adopted in various countries of the world. Since the topic covers a large majority of the individuals belonging to divergent cultures and societies of the globe, it maintains sociological significance in its nature and scope. Since the gays are viewed to be the deprived community in many parts of the world, because of being considered to be perverts and deviant, Marxist perspective and Freud’s sexual perversion theory have been applied for the present study. The Paper: The term homosexuality simply refers to the individuals’ having sexual attraction towards the people of one’ own gender (Macionis, 2007: 571). Hence, the term is opposite of heterosexuality, which concentrates upon the sexual desires between the members of opposite genders. Homosexuality is aptly regarded to be a social phenomenon, which exists in all areas and regions of the globe without discrimination (Ollendorff, 1974:21). Historical records are replete with the examples of the gay culture in various forms in ancient and medieval eras (Younger, 2005:38), where it thought to be a normal activity and relationship. However, the phenomenon obtained imperative popularity and wide-ranged acceptance by the second half of twentieth century in the wake of the movements launched by the individuals seeking legal status for their sexual love and attraction in the persons of same gender (Ellis &Symonds, 1975:162). As a result, the terms gay, lesbian, bisexual, homosexual, active and passive partners, sodomite, catamite, sexual orientation and others came into existence in order to define the role and position of the partners they observe during the homosexual associations of various kinds. One of the most significant aspects of homosexuality as a social phenomenon appear in the wake of the strong and unabated opposition of same-sexual relationships by the moralists and dogmatists. Since the religious circles, particularly belonging to the Abrahamic faiths unconditionally discard the possibility of homosexual relationships altogether (Genesis, 19:8-13), the issue witnessed extreme controversy in its nature and scope. Judaism, Christianity and Islam declare homosexuality to be strictly against the nature; it is therefore, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for practicing wide scale homosexuality, and homosexual rapes even in two cities of these primitive civilizations. Since the Bible and Qur’an seriously condemn sexual relationships between the people of same gender, the orthodox Jews, Christians and Muslims would never allow the marriages involving the members of same sex into sexual union as well as tied in a marital status. The opposition of gay sexual desires is not confined to the religious people; on the contrary, the moralists also look censuring the same through their words and works. Renowned English Jurist and lawyer Lord Devlin strongly refutes the idea of allowing the homosexuals the status of legal civil partners or lovers even (1965:71). Homosexuality, according to Devlin, challenges the moral values of a society, by deviating from the right path; it is therefore, moral laws must be implemented and enforced in society in order to combat with the immorality prevailing within the social establishment. Hence, here appears Freud’s theory of sexual perversion. Distinguished twentieth century Austrian psychologist-theorist Sigmund Freud has declared sodomy, necrophilia, pedophilia, paraphilia, sadomasochism, exhibitionism, voyeurism and other abnormal sexual activities as perversion from the innate sexual desires and the traditional social norms, cultural values and acceptable conventional practices (Gay, 1988:146), as sodomy is strictly against the law of nature, he maintains. Thus, homosexuality is strongly criticized by the heterosexuals in the light of Freud’s theoretical framework. The most important thing they homosexuals are well-aware of about their sexual orientation includes this that the gays have to undergo the prejudiced behavior at the hands of the heterosexual members of society, which have been in explicit majority in all cultures at large. Not only this that the homosexuals are abhorred, criticized and disliked by the mainstream culture, but also discrimination is observed while executing the recruitment procedures in the companies and organizations. Thus, the phenomenon also comes under the category of Marxist perspective. Though Marxism has never supported homosexuality from its platform, yet Marxist perspective has always been the advocate of social injustices and inequalities practiced by the powerful and majority groups against the weak and minority communities of society. Marxism declares that the powerful always exploit the weak and downtrodden by dint of the pelf, power, prestige and possessions they maintain, and thus enjoy superior position than the weaker stratum in all regards. Though the workers and laborers also have their share in the production and prosperity of an agricultural and/or industrial unit, yet they are deprived of their share because of their inability to have wealth, status and power within their social establishment (Ritzer, 2008:321). Consequently, they have to lead a life of low status, inferior position and deprivation as a minority group of society. Being a sociological issue, people are aware of many aspects, including both favorable and unfavorable, attributed to homosexuality. The individuals are well-aware of the reality that homosexuality is opposed by the moralists and religious people, which openly turn down its possibility in society in any form. Since homosexuality is a non-productive activity, where the partners are unable to reproduce through such unions, it is absolutely a futile intercourse. In addition, being unnatural in scope, homosexual intercourses may invite the diseases of various kinds to the people involved into it. Another important characteristic of the gay relationship is this that an overwhelming majority of male and female members of society opine the homosexuals as incomplete and incompetent persons, which deviate from the right path just for their sexual gratification. While discussing the popularity of gay rights, it becomes evident that few European countries, along with South Africa and Australia, have declared homosexuality to be legal activity; as a result, the gay relationships have been legalized in some American states too. Though several researches have been conducted in order to explore the reasons behind homosexuality, Kinsey’s research is considered to be one of the most valid ones on this subject. Alfred Kinsey, in his work has discovered the causes, consequences and affects of homosexuality, where he views that almost 10% of males and 4% of females have at least one homosexual experience from adolescence to the late adulthood (Kinsey et al., 1998:232). In addition, twentieth century psychologist Ollendorff has associated homosexual tendencies as an outcome of the same-sex experience of early adolescent years (1974: 48). Though several researches have already been conducted on the same topic, yet still there is significant space for exploring this important sociological issue that has created a gulf between the heterosexuals and homosexuals. References Devlin, Lord Patrick. (1965) The Enforcement of Morals Oxford University Press Ellis, Havelock., & Symonds, John Addington. (1975) Sexual Inversion Arno Press, ISBN 0-405-07363-1 (reprint) Gay, Peter. (1988) Freud: A Life for our Time J. M. Dent: London. p. 145-6 Kinsey, Alfred Charles., Pomeroy, Baxter Wardell., & Martin, Clyde Eugene. (1998) Sexual behavior in the human male Indiana University Press Macionis, John J. (2008) Sociology: a Global Introduction. Prentice-Hall. Pp. 511-89 Ollendorff, Robert. (1974) The Juvenile Homosexual Experience and its Effect on Adult Sexuality Tallis Press pp. 15-55 Ritzer, George. (2007) Sociological Theory 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, N.Y. p. 321 Younger, John G. (2005). Sex in the ancient world from A to Z (1st published. ed.) London Routledge. p. 38. ISBN 0-415-24252-5. Read More