Sexualities, Queer Theory and Qualitative Research

A. Early researchers of homosexuality faced obstacles such as social stigma which made subjects unavailable.

B. Movements toward gay and lesbian rights increased visibility of the homosexual.

C. Political and social movements such as the women's rights movements have influenced qualitative research as well as the study of homosexuality.

D. Studies became focused on stories and writings of homosexuals in the 1970s and 80s; studies offered a deconstruction of sexual subjectivity.

II. Politics of Sexuality Studies Influenced Qualitative Research

A. While social scientists attempted to study sexuality the political movements were more in tune with the interests of homosexuals.

1. Science sought to stigmatize and find causes and cures for deviant sexualities.

1. This movement focused on homosexuality as an illness or deviance thus creating an ambivalent relationship with homosexuals.

A. Prior movements led to the need to further elaborate on historical and cultural constructions of homosexuality.

B. The constructionist approach focused on questions suited to qualitative research.

C. Constructionist frameworks allowed for qualitative research methods such as ethnographic and sociohistorical to be established.

A. Queer theory emerged in the early 1990s.

1. This theory was influenced by constructionism.