On 28 February 2011 Mark Casteel wrote:
>I truly loved the video but fear that many of the nuances
>would go right over the heads of my students (especially
>the skepticism of the Norwegian researchers, and their
>complete denial that studying the original of differences
>in sexual orientation could even be an interesting or
>even valid area of scientific inquiry).
It is, of course, highly relevant when therapists claim that sexual
orientation can be changed, either on the basis of religious beliefs or
psychoanalytic theory.
I wouldn't say those interviewed who said that the origin of
differences in sexual orientation was not a question of any interest or
even a valid area of study were exactly "researchers". :-)
There was a similar response from the same interviewees on the question
of sexual identity in general. Faced with the case of the abandoned
baby from Ecuador with malformed genitals who was assigned to be a girl
and operated on accordingly on the basis of social and feminist theory
("Nature of Nurture" video), the sociologist Agnes Bolsoe said that we
should stop thinking "him" or "her" when a baby is born, but should
"work culturally with this".
The history of the case is here:
http://intersexnews.blogspot.com/2010/04/viktor-never-let-himself-be-brainwashed.html
I hadn't heard of this case, only that of the more well-known one
involving John Money:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/dr_money_prog_summary.shtml
If cases like this can't convince those who believe that the question
of the origins of sexual identity is uninteresting or even not a valid
area of research, nothing will.
Allen Esterson
Former lecturer, Science Department
Southwark College, London
allenester...@compuserve.com
http://www.esterson.org
------------------------------------
From: Mark Casteel <ma...@psu.edu>
Subject: RE: Norwegian wood and the nature-nurture question
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:08:16 -0500
I wanted to thank Stephen as well. I watched the one on gay/straight,
given that we’re covering that topic now in my intro class. I truly
loved the video but fear that many of the nuances would go right over
the heads of my students (especially the skepticism of the Norwegian
researchers, and their complete denial that studying the original of
differences in sexual orientation could even be an interesting or even
valid area of scientific inquiry).
Mark
*******************
Mark A. Casteel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Penn State York
1031 Edgecomb Avenue
York, PA 17403
(717) 717-4028
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