Tawanna Campbell
Behavioral Sexology
Saint Leo University
For years there has been a debate about homosexuality being a choice or if it is imbedded in ones biology makeup. Throughout the years of debate many factors have been addressed in regards to sexuality. Is this a biological or psychological or environmental factors that produce sexual orientation in humans, as well as which types of individuals are influenced by these factors, which class structure do they fall and what are their educational backgrounds. These in addition to other factors will be discussed in this paper to address this controversial topic.
Homosexuality is defined as an intiminate relationship between two individuals of the same sex whereas heterosexuality is an intimate relationship between two individuals of the opposite sex.
This is a very sensitive topic to many due to indivuals beliefs morals and values which are all associated with sociology and how people are effected. In sociology we sstudy culture and diversity, biology and evolution, human development and socialization, structure and interaction race ethnity, status, gender and sexuality, all of these topics are associated with the development of ones sexual preference and therefore relevant to the study of socioliogly. And as important as these topics are, how influencial are they in determining a persons sexual orientation.
Lets start with the biology aspect. A number of theories can be found regarding the root of homosexuality, as far back historically as Ancient time. Biological theorists have found substantial instances of anatomical, genetic, and endocrine evidence to support their argument. The current debate is whether or not homosexuality is a result of nature: a person's environment and surroundings, or of his biology and genetics. Many have claimed that homosexuality is rooted in biology . In recent years attention has been given to the area of genetic, hormonal basis for homosexuality. In natural selection, advantageous traits.
Many studies have been done to see if there is a gentic component that predetermines ones sexuality. Even though there is some evidence which can support that homosexuality can be a biology factor, people still believe that environmental factors player a larger role in a persons sexual orientation.
Scientist believe that there is something encoded in genes and that they are passed on generation to generation and increase in prevalence. Therefore many believe that homosexuality is encoded within their genetics. That they are born this way. Eventhough there were born from a male and a female there could have been some way that this is not something that is learned growing up, or an adaptation of ones environment yet it is an inate charctericts that were not chosen by them.
On the other hand people of heterosexual orientation feel as though homosexuality is a lifestyle choice and there is no way that an individual would be born with a trait like this. Nature versus nurture is a very important subtopic for this debate.
So is it possible that culture and one environment are factors that determine sexuality. To answer this we must first take a look at gender and the roles that society has placed on individuals. Feminity and masculinity are two terms that are cultural concepts. We as a socirty have impended such charctertics onto ourselves and we have learned that this is normal and how society is to function. However these roles are not always adequate for every individual with in a society. There are instrumental roles and expressive roles that each gender is assigned social to appear normal or to have normal behavior. In addition to the restrients that society has place on individuals to conform to a “normal”behavior, cultural has also been an issues raised in this debate.
. Most social theorists claim that childhood elements are the largest contributing factors to homosexuality. Often they examine childhood play patterns, early
