Cultural criminology

Cultural criminology

Cultural criminology implies that deviance, transgression, and crime are repeatedly sub-cultural naturally. As a result, cultural criminologists usually concentrate on the concurrent forces of social exclusion and cultural inclusion whenever explaining deviant, transgressive, or criminal behavior (Frederick, 2013; p139). Indeed, this remains a particularly significant method for exploring modern gay transgression and deviance. These are deeds that are maybe closely associated with or sometimes directly result from the entire period isolation, oppression, and marginalization of homosexuals, mainly by Western hetero-normative communities. Also, such approach can assist in comprehending behaviors that stem from oppression and marginalization from sources such as the gay society itself. This paper aims to discuss how the changing theories of homosexuality contribute to people’s understanding of their involvement in deviance.

Discussion

Queer Theory

The term queer is usually utilized as an involving term for individuals who identify themselves as LGBTI. The queer theory is simply a framework of concepts suggesting that identities are not deterministic or stable, especially relating to a person’s sex, gender and sexuality (Parrillo, 2008; p2). The theory is determined to problematizing and critiquing earlier methods of speculating identity. Hetero-normativity presumes that heterosexuality in joint with the binary feminine and masculine genders anticipated in it are constant and secure. On the other hand, queer theory remains a discourse version that undermines the privileges and assumptions of safe hetero-normative paradigms of and daily life while politicizing and acknowledging the instability and fluidity of identities.

The theory is believed to bring about the understanding and acceptance of an exceedingly complex reality within which individuals live. Thus, it provides activists, scholars, as well as different talking and thinking ways on identity over simple binaries, particularly during fighting trans-phobia and homophobia, which are illogical hatred and fear towards homosexuality and homosexuals, and trans-sexuality, transgender and transsexual individuals. The approach is also founded on the idea that it is senseless to generate any character reference to certain groups. These could include gays, women, lesbians and many more. As identities understand such an extensive range of factors that it is not possible to catalogue people in general within a category based on one shared characteristic, for example, a woman. Thus, queer is not about a specific identity group but an inclusive term that, rejecting stereotypes and refusing labels, cover all the subjectivities that, obstructing the established boundaries by the central customs, do not match with the usual defined ideas of sexuality and gender.

Queer theory tries to stop the continual utilization of labels and categories that harm and stereotype the ones within marginalized positions (LGBT individuals). The theory denotes a extra fluid sexuality and gender concept to improve comprehension of human being diversity. Nearly all native cultures lack a past practice of identification and sorting out sexual identities. It is thus questionable how individuals have to abide to the sexual identities utilization within the Western contexts.

Feminist Theory

The theory of feminism study’s gender discrimination, women’s experiences, community roles, chores and interests on various fields, including politics, communication, home economics, literature, philosophy and others. Primarily, the theory presents the idea that women and men should be equivalent socially, economically, and politically. The feminist theorists wish to participate actively to fight social, political and economic inequalities within society to develop and augment the gender equality awareness (Zembat, 2017; p4). The theory claims that both women and men should be liberated to grow their individual interest, talents, and wishes. Hence, the theory advocates the equal opportunity code for the two genders. Further, feminists disagree with traditional and cultural laws and norms, creating gender disparity within economic and social areas. Women have endured physical pain throughout the history. Hence, feminists support that women must run their sexuality with no one’s permissions or threats from any men.

Besides, the theory examines notions on access and privilege, disrupting the loyalty to the utilization of classes that observes one gender as natural, normal, as well as neutral against another gender that remains subjected, inferior, variant and oppositional (Gedro and Mizzi, 2014; p447). Indeed, the theory interrupts the belief that man is always a natural group while woman survive only for man.

Homosexuality Deviance and Related Changing Theories

Queer theorists study the methods within which queer identity interconnects with other minority groups of communities and individuals. Various behavioral and public health researchers investigate the incentives causing gay men to involve themselves with increased risk sex and drug activities. Across history and presently gay men are known to be stigmatized through the marginalizing and oppressive policies of many systems of community control, including church law, criminal law, public health, medicine, and behavioral sciences (Frederick, 2013; p141). However, within the past few decades, far-reaching changes have been completed within countless federal, regional, and local policies within the US, Europe, as well as beyond (Frederick, 2013; p141). Within various regions, homosexuality has become de-medicalized and de-pathologized. Sexual deeds amid same-gender consenting grown-ups have turned out to be decriminalized while lesbian- and gay-related discrimination has become outlawed. In addition, substantial easing of several of the previous barriers to Western communal institutions, counting adoption, marriage, civil unions, alongside military service has taken place.

However, as worldwide lesbians and gay have attained large strides to setting up their equal constitutional rights, new types of deviant plus transgressive behaviors seems to have emerged amongst gay men. These new behaviors appear to rule contradicting to LGBTA solidarity notions. Observations have been made that gay individuals have additional rights, remains better safeguarded by the law. Thus, they are expected to take pleasure in the greater equality sense within their daily lives. Nevertheless, the gay population seems less happy than how they are expected to be. Several gay men keep on falling into a life of self-harm and destruction promoted by a gay identity crisis.

Proof of this damaging counternormative way of life can be observed within the real and virtual worlds. This involves behaviors extending from noncriminal such as condom-less sex, HIV passing, the searching for HIV self-infection, sex parties within which many HIV-seropositive homosexuals take turns reproducing a HIV-seronegative individuals. Others may be criminal, including worldwide HIV-seropositive nondisclosure to sex mate, and smoking meth then enjoying group sex parties as individuals pass drugs around. Usually, the drugs taken to boost sexual activities within parties contain MDMA, mephedrone, meth, ketamine, and ecstasy.

Even though the motives for engaging in trassgression, deviance, or crime are individualized and countless, it would be irresponsible to ignore the existence of general factors influencing these characters, especially in populations that have a shared bond. Note that gay men are one among such population. Many would agree that both gay and MSM are at a great extent negatively labeled. The negative labeling is usually by those who identify their lifestyles or sexual preferences to be well-matched. For instance, even the ones who are yet to recognize themselves as gay may repeatedly turn out the labels objects; these include closet case and repressed homosexual. Research has identified labeling as a key contributing factor for various deviance gay behaviors such as bareback sex, global HIV transmission and chronic substance use.

Becker as the first researcher of the connection amid deviance and labeling argues that deviance is a creation of labeling individuals done by society (Becker, 1973; p8). He explains that the deviant simply wear the given label. Further, Katz elucidates the way homosexual was actually invented, pointing out that before 1950s people remained unidentified (without label) by the sex types in which they prefer to engage (Katz, 2001). Hence, Katz employs the sodomy act example where nowadays one may presume that a guy engaging in anal sex with another guy is gay, but in the olden days such a guy was identified using a dissimilar label ‘sodomite’ plus criticized accordingly. Similarly, the idea of an affectionate homosexual bond remains moderately recent.

Furthering the labeling discussion Goffman addresses its stigmatizing outcomes, particularly whenever the label gets connected to characteristics beyond the individual control locus- for instance, physical appearance, poor health, or even sexual identity (Goffman, 1997; p327). Besides, Goffman believes that such label types were capable of engendering stigma feelings that could cause a person to visualize himself as broken. Therefore, when an individual is labeled negatively as per his sexual behaviors or sexual identity, he may take up an unconstructive self-perception and start to participate in sexually deviant deeds. Also, any existing sex- or drug-related deviance may become greater than before making him to look for higher deviance levels that he tries to reach. Some gay individuals prefer identifying with or even own labels. Others usually establish online screen identities with labels previously hurled as nicknames, including pig, pervert, twisted, poofter and many more. Several others personalize labels that for a number of gay men could cause stigma-linked behaviors. Consequently, some gay sex- and drug-related characters have been differentiated as end results of stigmatizing encounters endorsed upon homosexual men by the outsiders.

Importantly, the coming out process may be headed by a stage where the individual who is either uninformed of his/her sexuality or else sharing a broad viewpoint of homosexuality may trust that he/she will be denounced, devalued, degraded, or treated as separate. Unrestrained stigma homosexual men are known to associate with substance use, HIV status nondisclosure, sexual compulsivity as well as searching for worldwide HIV infection. However, the gay men association with the 19180s AIDS epidemic remains a key root of stigma. Even though the early outbreak occurred long time ago and the checkup advancements have eased the damaging HIV effects, the exact HIV idea has, however, traumatized American’s security sensation and cultivated deep distrust and fear of individuals with HIV. HIV/AIDS is still inducing shame and guilt feelings for various survivors. Many studies connect risky gay sex and drug behaviors to thoughts of guilt, shame, and sadness linked to having dangerous HIV-infection and also survival guilt on having survived the epidemic.

Certainly, some homosexual men fail to encounter stigma associated with their sexuality or various personal characteristics. Also, they may encounter stigma from outcasts and not necessarily from other homosexual men. However, such men may yet undertake transgressive or deviant behavior for different reasons. These could include a kind of confrontation to hetero-normative values and ideals. Some trasgressive and deviant homosexual men behaviors seem to arise as a kind of speech, intending to upset the outsiders. They risk breaching hetero-normative ideas of discretion along with inclination relating to sex.

Clearly, for self-identified homosexual men, the homo-socialization process starts at diverse periods and takes diverse forms. A there is no firm and quick regulation as to how and when the process should happen, the reasonable postulation can be that the resulting socialization process starts shortly prior to the period at which the guy reaches to a mindful decision to enjoy his life. This is usually done at a varying standard as a visible and open gay man, suggesting a denial of at least several hetero-normative beliefs and values that the guy may have held previously. Also, this may suggest a breaching of hetero-normative regulations.

Cohen explains that delinquent subcultures share a series of regulations and also a plan for existing that is dissimilar from or unconcerned with or in disagreement with the customs of the highly regarded grown up society. Essentially, the criminal subculture derives its customs from the bigger culture turning them upside down (Cohen, 1955; p28). Later, Cohen reintroduced the concept that criminal behavior is predicated at the acknowledgement of obedience to rules be in organizations, institutions and society at large. He also identifies the positive and negative outcomes of rule-breaching characters. Consistent with his views, if humans are to conduct business with each other, there should be regulations and individuals should be a ready to employ and observe them (Cohen, 1966; p3). However, his observation remains problematic as the Western hetero-normative communities fail to offer alternative homosexual behavior rules for kids. Identifying a child’s sexuality can be challenging despite the parents search to determine if their kid needs homosexual men-specific rules. Similarly challenging many individuals from sexual minority communities have overtly and at times aggressively abandoned hetero-normative values. Nowadays, being queer is more about refusing imprisonment by the heterosexual convections. Proof can be seen within the many lively and exiting events throughout the world showing gay pride and gay shame displays.

Gay transgression and deviance can be understood as response of a person who suffers deprivation of community aspirations (such as the American dream) due to material deprivation or even inadequate opportunities. Therefore, it is probable that for a few gay individuals, the idea of a thriving married gay guy symbolizes an identical undesirable or unachievable ‘gay dream.’ Recognizing that this way of life may be unsuitable or unattainable may push some individuals to participate in crime and deviance for completely different motives.

Gay men and lesbians are disproportionately rendered into bias events such as violence and discrimination. For instance, a study done within the US adults shows LGB individuals were two times more likely to have encountered prejudice related life event compared to heterosexual individuals (Meyer, 2003). In fact, the LGB teenagers are more expected to end up victimized through various antigay discrimination events. Note that the psychological results of such victimization can become more severe. Besides, LGB teenagers suffer more violence and discrimination events compared to their age mate heterosexual friends. There are psychological mechanisms, which can explain the link amid victimization with psychological distress. Victimization is known to interfere with world’s perception as orderly and meaningful. Thus, while attempting to re-establish order to their globe’s perception, these survivors usually respond to the many questions with self-devaluation and self-recrimination. Generally, victimization experiences deduct the victim’s invulnerability and security sense. Antigay prejudice crimes cause larger mental health influence on LGB individuals compared to identical crime with no relation to bias. The unfairness-crime victimization may result in short-term or long-term impacts, such as severe PTSD.

Normally, the stigmatized gay person handles interactions within the society differently. The individual may perceive, generally quite accurately, that what others acknowledge, they never actually accept him plus they are not willing to contact him on unprejudiced grounds. Consequently, the prejudice targets may develop vigilance trait in self-protective coping. Just like other marginal group members, the gay men learn to expect negative consideration from dominant culture members. Hence, to defend against possible negative opinion, discrimination, as well as violence, gay men have to maintain vigilance. Such vigilance remains chronic as it is continually and often evoked within the daily life of gay individuals. In simple words the vigilance implies need to remain in constant guard, mindful and alert of the probability that the other individual is discriminated.

Notably, the social stigma among the stigmatized gay people creates a disagreement between self- and others-perceptions. Due to this disagreement, self-perception probably becomes vulnerable and unstable. Maintaining coherence and stability within the self-concept possibly requires substantial activity and energy. LGBT individuals have been shown at an increased danger for both heavy and experimental substance use alongside tobacco and alcohol use than their heterosexual peers (Huebner, Thoma and Neilands, 2015; p734). The widespread theoretical elucidation for these dangers is that these LGBT individuals experience greater minority stress levels owing to their sexuality. Significantly, these stressful encounters build up leading to health challenges. Victimization of gay men could add to the individual’s drug abuse as this decrease their bonding within the community. Further, victimization may facilitate gay teenager’s engagement with deviant colleagues. Individuals who have experienced harassment and additionally severe victimization forms from their friends subsequently start to associate with deviant social groups.

Comparing Queer and Feminist Theories

The current debates over queer and feminist theory rotate around various interrelated matters that all stretch from the importance provided to gender and sexuality. Within some incidences, feminism has faced unfair condemnation as excessively moralistic, while queer theory is wrongly seen to be exceptionally about pleasure. Potentially, there is a lot to praise a commitment with the theory of queer and also for using the methodological instruments it offer to challenge a few of the essentialist concepts propping up thoughts of key identity, or an inborn, innate, natural self. The theory has been helpful in deconstructing and destabilizing various heterosexist norms. It tries to keep away from the destructive essentialist suggestion usually presumed by terms like gay, lesbian, homosexuality, and heterosexuality. Thus, the idea of compartmentalized and individualized sexualities stops to exist due to absence of subject as well as specific distinction generated amid these categories; the theory has only disclosure.

Queer theory forms its intellectual roots based on feminist theory as well as other gender studies. Therefore, it is recommendable for individuals to employ both queer and feminist theory as the two complement each other offering an extensive analysis of the way LGBTQ community members are described, essentialized, and oppressed through social actors and embedded sexism (García and Otto, 2019; p275). Integrating the two theories facilitates the understanding of the cruelty reinforced by the dominant group members in addition to the minority members who benefit from other privilege forms (such as white privilege) while promoting dominant principles. Additionally, analysis in the intra- and inter-categorical structure allow approaching challenges encountered by people within the crossroads between heterosexism, sexism, monosexism and cissexism; these may include transgender women, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. The integration also allows understanding the way racism, classism, and ethnocentrism manipulates these individuals’ experiences and behaviors.