(Re)defining (ab)normal: Sexual compulsivity among men who have sex with men.
Item
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Title
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(Re)defining (ab)normal: Sexual compulsivity among men who have sex with men.
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Identifier
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AAI3283136
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identifier
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3283136
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Creator
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Grov, Christian.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Juan Battle
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Date
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2007
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, General | Psychology, Social | Health Sciences, Public Health
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Abstract
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Although moral, political, and social sanctions constricting sexuality and sexual behavior have existed throughout humankind, the scientific discourse of sexual compulsivity (SC) emerged in the latter half of the 19th century. The focused discourse of SC specifically among men who have sex with men (MSM) has taken root since the discovery of HIV/AIDS, and has been dominated by psychological and medical paradigms. Merging theoretical constructs from sociology, this analysis investigated the role of social forces (i.e., norms, community attachment, anomie, homo-negativity, urbanization, class, race and ethnicity), socio-psychological variables (i.e., depression, anxiety, loneliness), sexual behavior, and substance use (i.e., drugs and alcohol) in the lives of MSM who were experiencing symptoms of SC. In so doing, two datasets were drawn upon: (1) Quantitative survey data from the Sex and Love Study Version 3.0 of MSM from New York City and Los Angeles (n = 1851) and (2) Qualitative and quantitative data from Project SPIN, a study conducted by the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST) and funded by the Centers for Disease Control that sought to investigate the nature and antecedence of SC in a sample of NYC-based MSM who were experiencing symptoms of SC ( n = 183). In the first phase of analyses, Sex and Love data were utilized to systematically compare and contrast men with fewer symptoms of SC to those having reported more symptoms. In the second phase of analyses, both the quantitative and qualitative data from Project SPIN were utilized to broadly explore a myriad of social and psychological variables as they confounded in the lives of these men. Adopting theoretical constructs from the Health Belief Model, Durkheim, Cooley, and Goffman, findings indicate that a myriad of social forces have played a role in the lives of these men. These factors included: attachment, anomie, identity as a barebacker (i.e., person who intentionally seeks out unprotected sex), socio-economic status, urbanization, and hetero-normative standards of sexuality/sexual behavior. Sociological constructs have provided an invaluable framework to view, critique, and understand both the scientific discourse of SC and the tangible effects this discourse has in the lives of individuals.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
