Anthropology and Homosexual Behavior

Rating:
Summary: Politically correct does not equal solid scholarship
Review: Some respected and well known social scientists have contributed to this volume. Nevertheless, I do not consider it a balanced perspective of this still controversial research area and I would not use it for any of the classes I teach. At some point in the future we will look back on this period of scholarship in anthropology and wonder why we struggled so hard to come up with popular answers when other conclusions were equally indicated. Solid social science steps outside the constraints of cultural popularity/political correctness at any given era. Yet, it is understandable that many of these papers do not. Alternative explanations do not easily find publication and are often derided by one's peers. At best, this book joins a growing pseudo-scientific literature about human sexual expression and the social and cultural environments in which it occurs.

Rating:
Summary: Politically correct does not equal solid scholarship
Review: Some respected and well known social scientists have contributed to this volume. Nevertheless, I do not consider it a balanced perspective of this still controversial research area and I would not use it for any of the classes I teach. At some point in the future we will look back on this period of scholarship in anthropology and wonder why we struggled so hard to come up with popular answers when other conclusions were equally indicated. Solid social science steps outside the constraints of cultural popularity/political correctness at any given era. Yet, it is understandable that many of these papers do not. Alternative explanations do not easily find publication and are often derided by one's peers. At best, this book joins a growing pseudo-scientific literature about human sexual expression and the social and cultural environments in which it occurs.

Rating:
Summary: Anthropology and Homosexual Behavior
Review: Somtimes a little dry, however this text has provided some very well thought-out bits of information. It seems as though the author was thorough in her research. It provides a good backbone to the study of gay history. She should be commended for her Herculean effort. It's information every gay man and lesbian should have in their arsenal if ever the topic comes up and you are called upon in discussion to defend the entire culture as a whole. Recommended reading.