Sexuality

• Weeks (1991) - sexuality

  • many individuals do not label themselves as gay but participate in same-sex activities
  • many individuals label themselves as gay but do not participate in same-sex activities
• Reiss (1961) - sexuality

  • young male prostitutes label themselves as heterosexual, regardless of them having sex with men for money
  • they would despise the men as a way of neutralising their behaviour
• Rich (1980) - “compulsory heterosexuality”

  • women’s sexuality is oppressed by men in a patriarchal society, eg. through the sexual objectification of women
  • women are socialised into subordinate and heterosexual roles
  • heterosexuality is forced upon women
• Craig (1992)

  gay men in the media are stereotyped to have negative social characteristics, eg. sexual predators
• Roseneil (1995)

  identifies gay people as "pioneers" in plastic sexuality, break barriers by individualisation and de-traditionalisation
• Dunne (1997)

  • lesbian families operate without traditional gender norms
  • roles in the family are negotiated rather than predetermined