Synopses & Reviews
List of IllustrationsList of TablesIntroduction: Types of HomosexualityPart One: Age-Structured Homosexualities1. The Reproduction of WarriorsAustralia and MelanesiaPederasty in Ancient GreeceThe Mamlocks of Medieval EgyptPages and Janissaries in the Ottoman EmpireAlbaniaLdab Ldob: A Tibetan Monastic RoleThe Hwarang of Ancient KoreaAcolytes and Pages in Japan2. Neither Masculinizing nor Feminizing RelationsThe Hawaiian Aik neAncient Athenian Pederasty: Eros, Idealization, and Normative ConstraintsLatin AmericaLove of Pueri Delicati in Republican and Early Imperial RomeAccommodations to Pederasty across the Abode of Islam"Sodomites" in Early Modern Europe"Sodomites" and Cruising Grounds in Early Modern ItalyMale Homoeros in Tudor EnglandBoy-Wives in the SudanWives of South African Mines and PrisonsEarly-Twentieth-Century Korean Pretty BoysFeminized Boy Actors in JapanEffeminization and Commercialization of Male Beloveds in Demilitarized Tokugawa JapanLate Imperial ChinaEffeminized Boy Entertainers/Prostitutes in Some Islamic Societies3. Boy "Tops"AfricaSevilleAmerican Hustlers4. Age-Stratified Female HomosexualitiesFemale-Female Eros on Lesbos and Elsewhere in Ancient GreeceScattered Indications of Female Age-Stratified Homosexualities on Pacific IslandsEastern and Southern AfricaPart Two: Gender-Stratified Organization of Homosexuality5. Gender-Stratified Female HomosexualitiesNorth American Butch/FemmeAncient AthensAncient RomeEarly Modern EuropePacific SocietiesAsian SocietiesSub-Saharan African Peoples6. Male Receptacles for Phallic DischargesAncient Greek and Hellenistic PathicsRoman EffeminatesA Nod at Effeminate Homosexual Roles in Early Modern EuropeLatin America: Activos andPasivos: Simplistic Cultural Norms and Not-So-Simple Homosexual Conduct in Latin AmericaThe Sohari KhanithPolynesian Gender-Defined Homosexual RolesConclusion7. Purportedly Sacralized Male Homosexual RolesThe Myth of Male "Temple Prostitutes"Claims about the Prostitution of Temple Functionaries during the Conquest of PeruGalliAncient South and Southwest AsiaContemporary South AsiaNortheastern Siberia's Transformed ShamansAraucanian MachiTransformed Shamans in Borneo, the Philippines, and Mainland Southeast AsianSpiritual Vocations in Western AfricaHausa RolesCommon but Incidental Male Homosexuality in Afro-Brazilian Possession ReligionsNative North AmericaConclusion8. PremodernEgalitarian Female Homosexuality in "Tribal" SocietiesEgalitarian Male-Male Sexual Relationships in "Tribal" SocietiesHeroic Male Couples in Ancient Greek LiteratureAncient Greece and RomeMuslim Non-Role-Demarcated Male Homosexual RelationsRepresentations of Female Sexual Reciprocity in ChinaPart Three: Egalitarian Homosexualities9. Modern Egalitarian HomosexualitiesThe "Modern Homosexual"An Aside on ModernityNew Bottles: Stigma Transformation and Relexification of Gendered Homosexuality in the International Diffusion of Gay and LesbianEmerging "Modern Lesbian" Homosexualities in Thailand, India, and Japan"Modern" Homosexual Behavior in Mexico and PeruIncipient Muslim Gay Organization of Male HomosexualityAIDS as a Rationale for Some Public Discussion of Homosexuality10. ConclusionsCorrelating Organizations of Homosexuality and Other Social StructuresInheritanceSubsistence ActivitiesSexual Division of LaborLack of Male Sexual Access to FemalesAdolescent Male Isolation and Genital MutilationClass andUrbanizationSummaryWho Is Desiring Whom? And Does It Matter?AcknowledgmentsReferencesIndex
Synopsis
Breathtaking in its historical and geographical scope, Stephen O. Murray's new book provides a sweeping examination of the construction of male and female homosexualities. Although the variety of behaviors, subcategories, and meanings of same-sex sex he surveys is considerable. Murray argues that there are a few recurring types. Exploring the range of constructions throughout time and throughout the world, he relates the patterns to other sociocultural institutions.
Murray stresses that humans are more than mere "cultural carriers". Even though the roles and conceptions of a society channel desire into familiar patterns, there is considerable variability in what individuals do within these channels.
Homosexualities is the most comprehensive description and analysis of social constructions of same-sex sexuality and will prove Foucault's followers wrong in suggesting no real analogue between modern and premodern homosexuals.
Synopsis
Breathtaking in its historical and geographical scope, this book provides a sweeping examination of the construction of male and female homosexualities, stressing both the variability of the forms same-sex desire can take and the key recurring patterns it has formed throughout history.
"[An] indispensable resource on same-sex sexual relationships and their social contexts. . . . Essential reading." and#8212;Choice
"[P]romises to deliver a lot, and even more extraordinarily succeeds in its lofty aims. . . . [O]riginal and refreshing. . . . [A] sensational book, part of what I see emerging as a new commonsense revolution within academe." and#8212;Kevin White, International Gay and Lesbian Review
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 445-496) and index.
About the Author
Stephen O. Murray is the author of many books, including American Gay, also published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Introduction: Types of Homosexuality
Part One: Age-Structured Homosexualities
1. The Reproduction of Warriors
Australia and Melanesia
Pederasty in Ancient Greece
The Mamlocks of Medieval Egypt
Pages and Janissaries in the Ottoman Empire
Albania
Ldab Ldob: A Tibetan Monastic Role
The Hwarang of Ancient Korea
Acolytes and Pages in Japan
2. Neither Masculinizing nor Feminizing Relations
The Hawaiian Aik~ne
Ancient Athenian Pederasty: Eros, Idealization, and Normative Constraints
Latin America
Love of Pueri Delicati in Republican and Early Imperial Rome
Accommodations to Pederasty across the Abode of Islam
"Sodomites" in Early Modern Europe
"Sodomites" and Cruising Grounds in Early Modern Italy
Male Homoeros in Tudor England
Boy-Wives in the Sudan
Wives of South African Mines and Prisons
Early-Twentieth-Century Korean Pretty Boys
Feminized Boy Actors in Japan
Effeminization and Commercialization of Male Beloveds in Demilitarized Tokugawa Japan
Late Imperial China
Effeminized Boy Entertainers/Prostitutes in Some Islamic Societies
3. Boy "Tops"
Africa
Seville
American Hustlers
4. Age-Stratified Female Homosexualities
Female-Female Eros on Lesbos and Elsewhere in Ancient Greece
Scattered Indications of Female Age-Stratified Homosexualities on Pacific Islands
Eastern and Southern Africa
Part Two: Gender-Stratified Organization of Homosexuality
5. Gender-Stratified Female Homosexualities
North American Butch/Femme
Ancient Athens
Ancient Rome
Early Modern Europe
Pacific Societies
Asian Societies
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
6. Male Receptacles for Phallic Discharges
Ancient Greek and Hellenistic Pathics
Roman Effeminates
A Nod at Effeminate Homosexual Roles in Early Modern Europe
Latin America: Activos and Pasivos: Simplistic Cultural Norms and Not-So-Simple Homosexual Conduct in Latin America
The Sohari Khanith
Polynesian Gender-Defined Homosexual Roles
Conclusion
7. Purportedly Sacralized Male Homosexual Roles
The Myth of Male "Temple Prostitutes"
Claims about the Prostitution of Temple Functionaries during the Conquest of Peru
Galli
Ancient South and Southwest Asia
Contemporary South Asia
Northeastern Siberiaand#8217;s Transformed Shamans
Araucanian Machi
Transformed Shamans in Borneo, the Philippines, and Mainland Southeast Asian
Spiritual Vocations in Western Africa
Hausa Roles
Common but Incidental Male Homosexuality in Afro-Brazilian Possession Religions
Native North America
Conclusion
8. Premodern
Egalitarian Female Homosexuality in "Tribal" Societies
Egalitarian Male-Male Sexual Relationships in "Tribal" Societies
Heroic Male Couples in Ancient Greek Literature
Ancient Greece and Rome
Muslim Non-Role-Demarcated Male Homosexual Relations
Representations of Female Sexual Reciprocity in China
Part Three: Egalitarian Homosexualities
9. Modern Egalitarian Homosexualities
The "Modern Homosexual"
An Aside on Modernity
New Bottles: Stigma Transformation and Relexification of Gendered Homosexuality in the International Diffusion of Gay and Lesbian
Emerging "Modern Lesbian" Homosexualities in Thailand, India, and Japan
"Modern" Homosexual Behavior in Mexico and Peru
Incipient Muslim Gay Organization of Male Homosexuality
AIDS as a Rationale for Some Public Discussion of Homosexuality
10. Conclusions
Correlating Organizations of Homosexuality and Other Social Structures
Inheritance
Subsistence Activities
Sexual Division of Labor
Lack of Male Sexual Access to Females
Adolescent Male Isolation and Genital Mutilation
Class and Urbanization
Summary
Who Is Desiring Whom? And Does It Matter?
Acknowledgments
References
Index