1st Edition

Researching Non-Heterosexual Sexualities

Edited By Constantinos N. Phellas Copyright 2012
    264 Pages
    by Routledge

    258 Pages
    by Routledge

    After widespread neglect over many years, the study of human sexuality has recently come to the forefront of many of the most important debates in contemporary society and culture. This book addresses seriously the issue of how to improve the methodological basis of research into non-heterosexual sexualities, exploring the key question of what different methodological and theoretical uses of intersectionality contribute to our understandings of non-heterosexual sexualities. Bringing together research from the UK, USA, Europe and Australasia, this innovative collection rethinks traditional methodologies, creating new epistemologies and applying new approaches, whilst critically examining key issues, including communities, identities, relationships, sexualities, homosexual parenthood, fostering, civil marriage, and politics. As such, it will be of interest to researchers, scholars and students across the social sciences and health professionals.

    Biography

    Constantinos N. Phellas is Vice Rector for Research and Faculty at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus.

    ’This is a stimulating collection of methodological reflections and insights about researching non-heterosexual sexualities based on a wealth of experience from a range of researchers including those most eminent in this field. It offers a creative and unique perspective on methodological approaches thus making a key contribution to researching sexuality.’ Gill Green, University of Essex, UK ’This book places old and new methodologies and paradigms in a creative and innovative framework for the scholarly study of non-heterosexuality. The contributions provide a rich mix of qualitative and quantitative material which includes ethnography, in-depth interviewing, visual methods, sex diaries and web based research.’ Richard D Wiggins, The Institute of Education, UK '... this book will certainly be of interest to scientific researchers of human sexuality and students of humanities who are particularly interested in issues of sexuality. It could also be of use to health professionals, therapists and counsellors who offer support to LGBTQ people in the face of stigmatization to which they are exposed in their communities, and could provide a lot of information to activists who fight for a better status of sexual minorities in the society.' Teme, Journal for Social Sciences 'As a curious researcher, one of the most appealing contributions which fellow researchers can offer is a 'warts and all' account of their fieldwork trial and tribulations. Much can be learned from researchers' reflections upon the ethical and methodological dilemmas which they have faced and their accounts of what facilitated or hindered their progress. This edited collection offers such insights, specifically in relation to researching 'non-heterosexual sexualities'... Whilst reflections on interviewing and the challenges of undertaking quantitative research with LGBT populations (Rivers) are useful, this book also provides inspiration for researchers wishing to use less conventional metho