Laud Humphreys: Case study – Unethical
Presented in partial fulfillment of the course
SOCI 120: Introduction to Sociology
Topic
Laud Humphreys Case Study – Unethica Laud Humphreys: Case study – Unethical
Robert Allen “Laud” Humphreys born 1930, in Chickasha, Oklahoma was an American sociologist and author. According to (Jones) he took the name Laud after an Anglican Church leader, William Laud (as cited in Galliher et la., 2004) after he got baptized in an Episcopal church. He worked in a psychiatric hospital in the 1950’s, where he learned about the use of psychoanalysis as a treatment for homosexuality, which was thought to be a form of mental disorder in most parts of the United States in those days. Humphreys also worked as a priest for ten (10) years in a section of Chicago called Queens Parish, which was known for it’s high population of homosexuals/homosexuality. However, Humphreys reported that he wasn’t interested in the reform of homosexuals but was only interested in studying them.
Between the years of 1965 to 1968 Laud Humphreys, an ordained Episcopalian minister, conducted a dissertation research on men who have impersonal sex with men (Humphreys, 1970). Humphreys stated that, “ In the summer of 1965, I wrote a research paper on the subject of homosexuality. After reading the paper, my graduate advisor raised a question. The answer to which was not available from my data or from the literature on sexual deviance. ‘But where does the average guy go just to get a blowjob? That’s where you should do your research’” (Humphreys, 1970, P.16). Hence, Humphreys decided to do his research on the ‘Tearoom Trade: Impersonal sex in public places’ from a voyeur’s perspective, which was acting as a participant.
The distinguishing factors of the case are: The roles of the researcher, the taboo of the subject and the ethics. The roles of the researcher in this case included him acting as a participant (voyeur). He also assumed the role of the ‘watch queen’, who was someone that
SOCI 120: Introduction to Sociology
Topic
Laud Humphreys Case Study – Unethica Laud Humphreys: Case study – Unethical
Robert Allen “Laud” Humphreys born 1930, in Chickasha, Oklahoma was an American sociologist and author. According to (Jones) he took the name Laud after an Anglican Church leader, William Laud (as cited in Galliher et la., 2004) after he got baptized in an Episcopal church. He worked in a psychiatric hospital in the 1950’s, where he learned about the use of psychoanalysis as a treatment for homosexuality, which was thought to be a form of mental disorder in most parts of the United States in those days. Humphreys also worked as a priest for ten (10) years in a section of Chicago called Queens Parish, which was known for it’s high population of homosexuals/homosexuality. However, Humphreys reported that he wasn’t interested in the reform of homosexuals but was only interested in studying them.
Between the years of 1965 to 1968 Laud Humphreys, an ordained Episcopalian minister, conducted a dissertation research on men who have impersonal sex with men (Humphreys, 1970). Humphreys stated that, “ In the summer of 1965, I wrote a research paper on the subject of homosexuality. After reading the paper, my graduate advisor raised a question. The answer to which was not available from my data or from the literature on sexual deviance. ‘But where does the average guy go just to get a blowjob? That’s where you should do your research’” (Humphreys, 1970, P.16). Hence, Humphreys decided to do his research on the ‘Tearoom Trade: Impersonal sex in public places’ from a voyeur’s perspective, which was acting as a participant.
The distinguishing factors of the case are: The roles of the researcher, the taboo of the subject and the ethics. The roles of the researcher in this case included him acting as a participant (voyeur). He also assumed the role of the ‘watch queen’, who was someone that
References: Galliher, J.F., Brekhus, H.W., David, P.K., (2004). Birth and beginnings. Prophet of homosexuality and sociology, 1, P.14. Humphreys, L. (1970). Tearoom trade: Impersonal sex in public places. Chicago: Aldine publishing company. Goode, E., (1996). The ethics of deception in social research. A case study, 19, 11-12 Charlotte, A., (1997). When sociologists deceive their subjects. Retrieve from http://linguafranca.mirror.theinfo.org/9711/9711.allen.html