Homosexuality And Science: A Guide To The Debates [Hardcover]

This comprehensive resource explores the role of science and scientific discovery in the nature versus pathology debate surrounding homosexuality.

Homosexuality and Scienceis the compelling history of this intense, ongoing scientific controversy. The story begins in the Victorian era, when doctors were horrified to discover that homosexuality, which they called sexual perversion was widespreadprobably the result of childhood masturbation, they theorized, and sure to result in mental weakness and blindness for generations to come. The story progresses to a world where gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual scientists are involved in sexuality research, but where the AIDS pandemic has given rise to reparative therapy and ministries that claim to cure homosexuality.

This high-interest title shows how our understanding of homosexuality has been shaped not only by theories of evolution, eugenics, endocrinology, neurobiology, molecular biology, psychology, genetics, anthropology, and sexology, but also by the values of the times.

Librarians in larger high school and public libraries should include this text with others in theControversies in Scienceseries. College-level instructors tackling social debates as justified by scientific positions should review this work before selecting the textbooks they will assign. Rosario's excellent scholarship provides a fine model for students researching any complex topic. VOYA

[A] scholarly but highly readable history of the relationship in Western culture (principally American) between various branches of science and the study of homosexuality . . . This worthy addition to the Controversies in Science series will be useful in both public and academic libraries in either the reference or circulating collections. AlS„