Biology, ideology, and the reification of developmental stages in the study of homosexual identities

J Homosex. 1984 Winter;10(3-4):77-84. doi: 10.1300/j082v10n03_11.

Abstract

This paper examines the biological underpinnings of theories of homosexual identity formation by focusing on the developmental model of Minton and McDonald (1983/1984). Several problems stemming from the use of biologically derived models are identified: (a) stages, which are researchers' constructs rather than reflections of the subjects' perceptions, become reified; (b) moral assumptions embedded in biologically derived models become incorporated in sociopsychological theories of identity, without ever being acknowledged; and (c) the models tend to be constructed in a linear fashion, causing the researcher or theorist to ignore possible alternative paths.

MeSH terms

  • Gender Identity*
  • Homosexuality*
  • Humans
  • Identification, Psychological*
  • Psychoanalytic Theory
  • Psychosexual Development*
  • Social Environment
  • Social Identification