And as a sociologist and critical social theorist, I have to ask if this
result couldn't be the effect of a greater homosocial environment during
"personality/psychic development" experienced by the youngest of a group of
males growing up together? it is, of course, precisely the homosocial
bonding that the nation-state's military is based on that makes the
suggestion of formally/legally permitting gays to be honored members of the
military a real threat of 'outing' the bonds on which the military is
based. Why the need to take sociobiologists' theories seriously in any way
whatsoever? I ask this seriously, as a recent joiner to this listserv, on
which numerous posts over the last week have referred to sociobiological
theories as if they hold legitimacy. Since they hold so little legitimacy
in other discriminatory arenas, I have always assumed that they would also
be the most easily debunked even the arenas where the general populace
feels more 'comfortable' with their implications/conclusions. Perhaps I am
wrong in this area, and am willing to be enlightened. So, why such
emphasis on them? And on things like a 'gay gene'?
Natasha Kraus
>Incidentaly a study in Canada has demonstrated a statisticaly significant
>relationship between the chances of a male being homosexual, and the number
>of elder brothers he has. The more elder brothers, the greater the chance
>of the youngers males being gay. It is postulated that the mother builds up
>antibodies to the male chromasome over sucessive pregnancies, and 'blocks'
>the development of full 'maleness' in latter male foetuses. (My idle
>speculation is as to whether this in turn relates to the development of
>dyslexia which is four times morre common in males than female and is
>supposed to be developmental in origin. I wonder what the incidence of
>dyslexia is amongst homosexual men?)
>
>Of course the Sociobiologists will argue that it is socially important to
>have homosexual younger siblings in larger families to reduce agressive
>competition for females whilst giving the non procreative males a vested
>interest in the survival of his brothers' children as they share the same
>genes (if not Jeans).
>
Natasha Kirsten Kraus
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
430 Park Hall
Box 604140
University at Buffalo-SUNY
Buffalo, NY 14260-4140
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(716)645-2417 x 457
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