CAUSAL MODEL OF SECONDARY DEVIANCE (FROM THE SUBSTANCE OF SOCIAL DEVIANCE, 1979, BY VICTORIA LYNN SWIGERT AND RONALD A FARRELL)

• NCJ Number: 64047
• Author(s): R A FARRELL; J F NELSON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Alfred Publishing Co Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM RONALD A FARRELL AND JAMES F NELSON 'A CAUSAL MODEL OF SECONDARY DEVIANCE - THE CASE OF HOMOSEXUALITY', SOCIOLOGICAL QUARTERLY V17 (WINTER 1976), P 109-120

Annotation

A MODEL CONNECTING SECONDARY DEVIANT HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR, HOMOSEXUAL ASSOCIATION, SOCIETAL REJECTION, AND SELF-DEFINITION, ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE MODEL SUGGESTS THAT ONE'S SEEING OTHERS REJECTING HIM AND REACTING TO HIM AS A HOMOSEXUAL STEREOTYPE CAUSES HIM TO INCORPORATE THE STEREOTYPE INTO HIS SELF-DEFINITION. BITTERNESS, AND WITHDRAWAL TO A HOMOSEXUAL GROUP MAY ENSUE. MUCH HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR, OR SECONDARY DEVIANCE (BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF THE HOMOSEXUAL SUBCULTURE) IS ALLEGED TO CONFORM TO SOCIETY'S AND THE HOMOSEXUAL GROUP'S IDEA OF HOMOSEXUALITY, RATHER THAN BEING ITSELF DEVIANT. FURTHER, IT IS SAID THAT SOCIETY'S SO REACTING TO AND DEFINING AN INDIVIDUAL AS A STEREOTYPIC HOMOSEXUAL CAUSES HIM TO DEFINE HIMSELF ENTIRELY AS SUCH A DEVIANT. THIS MODEL WAS TESTED BY QUESTIONNAIRE ON 148 MALE HOMOSEXUALS FROM A MID-WESTERN CITY; SOME SUBJECTS WERE PART OF A HOMOSEXUAL GROUP, WHILE OTHERS WERE NOT. THE FOUR THINGS TESTED FOR WERE: PERCEIVED SOCIETAL REJECTION OR ACCEPTANCE, SELF-DEFINITION, EXTENT OF HOMOSEXUAL GROUP ASSOCIATION, AND SECONDARY DEVIANCE. ANALYSIS OF THE TEST YIELDED TWO PATTERNS: SOCIETAL REJECTION LEADING TO STEREOTYPIC SELF-DEFINITION AND HOMOSEXUAL ASSOCIATION, THE LATTER LEADING TO SECONDARY DEVIANCE; REJECTION AND HOMOSEXUAL ASSOCIATION LEADING TO STEREOTYPIC SELF-DEFINITION, AND ONCE AGAIN, ONLY HOMOSEXUAL ASSOCIATION LEADING TO SECONDARY DEVIANCE. GENERALLY, AS PERCEIVED REJECTION LESSENED, SO DID HOMOSEXUAL ASSOCIATION. IN SYMBOLIC INTERACTION BEHAVIOR THEORIES, EMPHASIS IS TRADITIONALLY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY GROUP RELATIONS FOR SELF-DEFINITION; HOWEVER, THIS STUDY INDICATES THAT TO HOMOSEXUALS, SECONDARY OR GENERAL SOCIETAL RESPONSES ARE VERY IMPORTANT, DUE TO SOCIETY'S BAD OPINION OF HOMOSEXUALS AND THEIR CONSEQUENT SENSITIVITY. THE ROLE OF SELF-DEFINITION HAS NOT BEEN CLEARLY DETERMINED, HOWEVER. CHARTS AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.