lovin' in da 'loo (rather than rhogan josh)

[jawnbc]

querrelle sent me a link for an op-ed in the NY Times about Senator Craig. The piece focuses on the the ethnographic research of Laud Humphreys, whose PhD dissertation "Tearoom Trade..." remains a seminal work in sociology--for good and bad reasons. I use his work in my research methods courses, largely to illustrate how social researchers can wholly exploit others--often dangerously. Even when the findings themselves can, paradoxically, challenge injustice.

Simply put, Humphreys researched men crusing for sex in public washrooms in the US midwest. He wanted to know how this sexual sub-culture operated, who participated, and why. Taking the role of lookout/voyeur, he logged hours of sexual encounters. Toe tapping, peaking, toe touching and hand gestures--all of which ostensibly occurred between Craig and the arresting officer. Humphreys was unequivocal in his belief that these systems of negotiation were obscure enough that no one could accidently be hit on by cruisers, all of whom had a vested interest in avoiding such mistakes. Like arrest, loss of career and family, becoming a social pariah.

But what Humphreys did next was, to be blunt, fooked. He wrote down license plates, went to the DMV and got addresses, and then showed up at these men's homes--ostensibly to do a general public interest survey. Once he sat the men down he explained why he was really there and asked them to "consent" to participate in his study. Can you imagine how frightening that would be for any guy having sex with other guys in the 1960s--gay, str8, confused, conflicted? Many did..though the extent to which they did so out of fear of blackmail is unknown. When Humphreys' work saw the light of day it caused a firestorm of controversy--more for the method than the findings (though these two were--and are still--landmark in the sociology of sex). In fact, Washington University (St Louis) closed its sociology department down as a result--and hasn't ever re-opened it.

Humphreys was married--in fact, he had been in (Episcopal) seminary before doing his doctoral work. He and his wife were known for hiring "homosexuals" to babysit their children, in order to challenge the fallacy of gay=paedophile. It wasn't until the 1980s that Humphreys himself came out as gay--though he never publicly acknowledged whether or not he too engaged in sex during his fieldwork.

Apropos of all this I had an interview scheduled for my current research this morning. For which I arrived a bit early...only to realize I left my goddamnedsonofabitchbastard bag at home. Since doing social research interviews without a tape recorder, consent forms and a list of bloody questions is ill-advised, we had a coffee and rescheduled for Thursday. D'oh!

Comments

[garpu.livejournal.com]

You know as much as it annoys me that I've got to go through Human Subjects every time I have an idea for a paper with an MMO involved, I'm damn glad the committee exists.

[jawnbc]

agreed. absolutely.

[zurcherart.livejournal.com]

They're still teaching that Tea Room stuff?

No. I know it's an important work for all the reasons you say.

But as I recall it anyway, the first time we discussed it in my intro to Sociology class the closet case southern white male on a power trip professor just used the study to shock the freshman and get his jollies talking about how men have sex in bathrooms. I think he briefly mentioned the research methods were questionable, but I came away with the idea that he pretty much admired them. And he had a bit too much schadenfreude over the (new) revelations the guy was a pole smoker himself.

Then the second time I recall studying it was in my Research Methods class and from what I recall the Japanese woman who was my major advisor and professor just kept giggling into her hand and then saying, "But don't you see? It was wrong he write down license plates. It was wrong." Then a few weeks later she said, "Psychology teacher say very bad lies about you. Very disgusting. She say you deviant. She say you are like those men in study where they write down license plates."

DEEP BREATH

.... and that's why I changed my major to Computer Science.

[jawnbc]

That is 100 different ways of fucked up.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Humphreys was married--in fact, he had been in (Episcopal) seminary before doing his doctoral work. He and his wife were known for hiring "homosexuals" to babysit their children, in order to challenge the fallacy of gay=paedophile.

Sounds a bit like my Mom. My childhood was spent being babysat by gay men and the occasional teenaged girl.

[jawnbc]

But she wasn't a heretic. I pray.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Only on the weekends. hah

[sunsmogseahorse.livejournal.com]

And that's why we have human subjects protections today. Good night, my little Roseanne Rosannadanna.

[jawnbc]

Goodnight Aunt Smegmawhores. I mean sunsmogseahorse!

[wrascalism.livejournal.com]

I must have read that same Times piece on the weekend and thought about linking it in my LJ. The part that really got me tho was it seemed to be a "how to" for men needing to know what to do when looking for washroom sex.

There's enough of that going on in the building where I work downtown, keeping security pretty busy.

And looking up license plates was pretty brazen. Those poor guys.

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Humphreys was actually a priest by the time of his work, not merely a seminarian. He had to get permission from the local bishop to do the work. I wasn't aware it was for his dissertation, however. I was sure he said in the book it was for his MA.

I remember he codified several roles that are enacted in tearoom sex including that of voyeur/lookout. He claimed in the book to always assume that role during his study.