Homosociality
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In sociology, homosociality describes same-sex relationships that are not necessarily of a sexual nature.
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[edit] Definition
Homosociality implies neither heterosexuality nor homosexuality. Some have suggested using the term iso-social[citation needed] as a more neutral alternative: since iso-social does not contain the prefix homo, it does not bring to mind the words homosexual and homophobic.
For example, a heterosexual male who prefers to socialize with men may be considered a homosocial heterosexual. The term homosociality is most often used with reference to male relationships.[citation needed]
"Bromance" is also used to refer to a close but non-sexual relationship between two men.
[edit] Uses
A preference for social relations with the same sex is most common in humans. A group larger than two cannot be satisfied with all present individuals if all members are heterosocial, which may explain part of the dominance of homosociality in social group dynamics.
People in a homosocial friendship may have a heterosexual sexual orientation, and homosociality is not a strong indicator of future homosexual behavior.
It is not uncommon for people in a homosocial friendships to be physically affectionate with each other, though not in a sexual way. Holding hands, hugging, and teasing are all common features of homosocial relationships, as are frank discussions about sexuality, life, and health. Some researchers believe that the physical aspect of such friendships may actually be an important socializing tool, pointing out that people with less physical contact in their lives can be less socially confident and emotionally stable.
Homosociality is a term sometimes used in discussions of the all-male world of knightly life in medieval culture. It is also used for historically largely male occupations such as being a sailor (for example, historian Marcus Rediker uses the term to describe the pirate world). Homosocial relationships are not obliged to be sexual relationships, they are merely same-sex social interactions.
Predominantly homosocial arrangements include:
- Single-sex educational institutions
- Fraternities and sororities
- Monasteries
- Military (historically exclusively male, although presently both sexes are accepted)
- Prisons
- Exclusive male clubs or female clubs
The opposite of homosocial is heterosocial, preferring non-sexual relations with the opposite sex. In group relations involving more than two individuals, the relation can be either homosocial (involving same-sex social relations) or bisocial involving social relation with both sexes)
[edit] Research
- In his study "Men, Sex, and Homosociality: How Bonds between Men Shape Their Sexual Relations with Women", Michael Flood of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University found out that male-male social bonds have a powerful influence on the sexual relations of some young heterosexual men. He says:
"Qualitative analysis among young men aged eighteen to twenty-six in Canberra, Australia, documents the homosocial organization of men's heterosexual relations. Homosociality organizes men's sociosexual relations in at least four ways. For some of these young men, male-male friendships take priority over male-female relations, and platonic friendships with women are dangerously feminizing. Sexual activity is a key path to masculine status, and other men are the audience, always imagined and sometimes real, for one's sexual activities. Heterosexual sex itself can be the medium through which male bonding is enacted. Men's sexual storytelling is shaped by homosocial masculine cultures. While these patterns were evident particularly among young men in the highly homosocial culture of a military academy, their presence also among other groups suggests the wider influence of homosociality on men's sexual and social relations."[1]
- Rosabeth Moss Kanter used the term "homosocial reproduction" (originally "homosexual reproduction") to describe the alleged tendencies of corporate executives to socialize with and promote other men, resulting in a glass ceiling for women in the same environment.
- Heidi Hartmann connected patriarchy to the solidarity of men with the intention of dominating women.
- Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick connected homosociality and homosexuality. According to her, the two can never fully be disentangled, even though the nature of this boundary varies from society to society and from era to era. She identified a similar continuum between feminism and lesbian desire.
