Strong, Thomas
(2007)
Romantic Relationships
and Their Social Context
Among Gay/Bisexual Male Youth
in the Castro District of San Francisco.
Journal of Homosexuality, 53.
pp. 1-29.
ISSN 0091-8369
Abstract
This article examines the culture of romantic relationships
among gay/bisexual male youth in the Castro District of San Francisco.The article seeks to specify the cultural ideology that informs these relationships,
drawing upon ethnographic observation, autobiographical accounts,
and informant cultural exegesis. The article also seeks to link
thinking and experience inside romantic relationships (e.g., bonding, jealousy)
to patterns of social behavior associated with romantic relationships
(e.g., relationship sequestering, cheating), showing how both are informed
by shared assumptions which make these emotions and gestures
intelligible to the group. Beliefs about love, compatibility, and monogamy
are explored. Reciprocity, including its degradation into negative forms,
is examined with focus on the units of value that are exchanged in romantic
relationships, in particular sentimental gifts. Gestures of commitment
that mark commencement of a romantic relationship as well as extension
of the dynamics of a relationship after “breakup” (as in “revenge sex” and
“rebound relationships”) are examined. Cultural systems that challenge
adherence to a romantic ideology, such as a prestige economy associated
with sex linked to an ethos of sexual exploration/recreation, are weighed
against the pull of romance. “Drama,” a hallmark of gay youth, is viewed in
the context of romantic culture.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
Romantic Relationships;
Gay/Bisexual; Male Youth;
Castro District; San Francisco; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > Anthropology |
| Item ID: |
8389 |
| Depositing User: |
Dr. Thomas Strong
|
| Date Deposited: |
28 Jun 2017 15:05 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Journal of Homosexuality |
| Publisher: |
Taylor & Francis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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