Testing a Typology of Adaptations to Same-Sex Sexual Orientation among Men

Previous research has yielded important understandings of how sexual minorities adjust to living in a heteronormative culture, but scholarly critiques of assimilation and Merton's research on adaptations to deviance suggest value in examining whether there are distinct types of adaptation. Appl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociological perspectives 2011-12, Vol.54 (4), p.619-640
Main Authors: Barrett, Donald C., Pollack, Lance M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation to change
Adjustment
Assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural groups
Deviant Behavior
Expectations
Extending Frontiers in Gender Research
Gay communities
Gay rights
Gays & lesbians
Gender identity
Health Care Services Policy
Homosexuality
Homosexuals
Identity
Males
Membership
Men
Mens health
Merton, Robert King
Minority Groups
Participation
Queer culture
Queer studies
Sexual expression
Sexual orientation
Sexual Preferences
Sexuality
Typology
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Summary:Previous research has yielded important understandings of how sexual minorities adjust to living in a heteronormative culture, but scholarly critiques of assimilation and Merton's research on adaptations to deviance suggest value in examining whether there are distinct types of adaptation. Applying Merton's definition of adaptations in anomic environments suggests that different patterns can be defined depending on the importance placed on assimilation and on sexual expression. Using the 1997 Urban Men's Health Study data (n=2,585), four different adaptation patterns are defined: MSM conformist, MSM innovator, MSM nonconformist, and MSM uninvolved. To establish criterion validity, expected correlates of membership in each group are then examined. The distinct groups, each representing from 20 percent to 30 percent of the sample, largely conformed to expectations on measures of sexual self-identification, involvement in gay culture, intimacy and sexual exploration, health, and income. Scholarly and policy implications of the adaptation typology are considered.
ISSN:0731-1214
1533-8673
DOI:10.1525/sop.2011.54.4.619