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Biased Use of Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives on Male Homosexuality in Human Sexuality Textbooks

Journal of Sex Research, Nov, 1998 by Bruce Rind

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Note. Listed examples are mentioned in 2 or more textbooks. Examples mentioned in only 1 textbook are as follows. (1) Homosexuality chapter: Arabs, Azande, Kimam, Sumatra, Thailand (transgenerational); Mohave, Polynesia, xaniths (transgenderal). (2) Pedophilia chapter: Africa, Arabs, Egypt, Muslim India, Japan, Turkey (transgenerational). (3) Other chapters: Arabs, Aranda, Etoro, Islamic societies (transgenerational); Hindu India, Mayans (transgenderal).

(a) Mb = man-boy (transgenerational); MM = man-man (transgenderal). Societies were classified by predominant form.

(b) Homo = homosexuality chapter; Pedo = pedophilia chapter; Other = nonhomosexuality and nonpedophilia chapters.

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Biased Use of Transgenerational Homosexuality

Given that all the textbooks drew sharp distinctions between man-boy and man-man sex in our society, it follows that they should not use cross-cultural or historical man-boy examples to provide perspective on man-man sex in our society. These examples instead should be confined to providing perspective on man-boy sex in our society, to which they are most relevant.

Test of proportions. A conservative test of bias was that the proportion of textbooks using transgenerational examples in their chapter on homosexuality would exceed the proportion of textbooks using these examples in their chapter discussing pedophilia. All of the 17 textbooks (100%) that had a chapter on homosexuality included transgenerational examples; only one (5.88%) of these textbooks (Carroll & Wolpe, 1996) used these examples in their discussion of pedophilia. McNemar's test of correlated proportions, used because paired observations from each textbook were being analyzed (cf. Glass & Hopkins, 1996), revealed a significant difference, [chi square] (1, N = 17) = 16, p [is less than] .001, with a large effect size, r = .97, indicating strong bias--rs of .10, .30, and .50, respectively, indicate small, medium, and strong effects (Cohen, 1988).

Additionally, bias would be indicated by using transgenerational examples more frequently in chapters other than those on homosexuality (e.g., introductory chapters) than in the chapters discussing pedophilia. Fourteen of the 18 textbooks (77.78%) used these examples in other chapters compared to only one usage in the 18 chapters discussing pedophilia (5.56%). This difference in proportions was statistically significant, [chi square] (1, N = 18) = 13, p [is less than] .001, with a large effect size, r = .85.

Verification of inappropriate use. Using transgenerational examples in nonpedophilia chapters does not necessarily indicate bias. For example, Hyde and DeLamater (1997) used the Sambian example to discuss learning theory and homosexual orientation; this example is significant for evaluating learning theory because boys, after spending 10 or more years engaged exclusively in homosexual behavior, almost all become exclusively heterosexual. Similarly, later in their book Hyde and DeLamater discussed ritualized man-boy sex in Melanesia to evaluate further the origins of homosexual orientation, with a focus on script theory. These instances represented appropriate use of nonwestern man-boy sex for discussing Western man-man sex. On the other hand, Hyde and DeLamater used the pederastic examples of the Siwans of Africa and the ancient Greeks to provide perspective on attitudes toward homosexuality, when these examples are relevant to attitudes about pedophilia, using the distinctions all textbook authors have drawn. This use was therefore inappropriate. To verify that the overuse of transgenerational examples in nonpedophilia chapters compared to the pedophilia chapters constituted bias, it was necessary to analyze the codings for appropriateness described previously, which could range from 0 (bias) to 2 (no bias). The mean appropriateness rating was compared to a value of 1; if it fell significantly below 1, then inappropriateness would be verified.

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Biased Use of Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives on Male Homosexuality in Human Sexuality Textbooks

Journal of Sex Research, Nov, 1998 by Bruce Rind

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