同性恋和文化多元性.doc

本科毕业论文 同性恋和文化多元性学生姓名： 学生学号： 200310206054 院（系）： 外国语学院 年级专业： 2003级英语本科3班 指导教师： 二七年五月Homosexuality and Cultural DiversificationYan YuUnder the Supervision ofZhang ChunSchool of Foreign Languages and CulturesPanzhihua UniversityMay 2007ContentsAbstract.IKey Words.I摘要.关键词.Introduction.1I. Introduction to Homosexuality.2A. Definition.2 B. Causes of Homosexuality.2 C. Categories of Homosexuality3II. Homosexuality in China3A. History of Development3B. Social Status.4C. Ideas and Attitudes.5III. Influence of Western Culture.8A. Homosexuality in the Western World.8B. Absorbability of Western Homosexuality Culture.11C. Views and Development of Homosexuality.13IV. Cultural Diversification.15A. Definition.15B. Characteristics.15C. Relationship between Cultural Diversification and Homosexuality.17Conclusion.19Acknowledgements.20Bibliography.21AbstractHomosexuality, being a representative phenomenon related to subculture, is on its way arousing a number of disputes in society, which is becoming more unveiled daily in China, thus influential impact and challenge is confronting the society of this country, a nation that always puts the emphasis on its traditional ideals. Nowadays the homosexuality is more straightforward discussed, studied, and confronted in China, owing to the confusion and absorption of oriental and occidental culture.As a cross-cultural social phenomenon, Homosexuality subsists in disparate regions such as European nations, Asian and African nations, and so on. Consequently it is easy to comprehend that cultural diversification is the driving power of homosexualitys spreading around the world. This conclusion is also adapted to the circumstance in China, a nation that is stepping into a cultural diversification society. With the absorption of other nations cultures, a more beneficial environment will be left for the development of homosexuality in China.The relationship between cultural diversification and homosexuality can be defined as below: cultural diversification operates the propelling motivation more than the decisive element of the developing of homosexuality; on the other hand, homosexuality turns out to be one of the manifestations of the cultural diversification.Key Wordshomosexuality；influence；cultural diversification摘要作为一种具有代表性的亚文化特殊现象，同性恋现象已经在社会上引起了广泛的争论，在中国，有关同性恋的讨论愈加公开，这给比较注重传统观念的中国社会带来了巨大的冲击和挑战。随着中西方文化的交流和融合，现今中国社会已经能够更从容坦诚的直面，讨论，研究此问题。同性恋是一种跨文化的社会现象，存在于不同地区，诸如欧洲，亚洲和非洲各国等等，所以不难理解，文化的多元性是同性恋在全世界普遍，泛化的驱动因素。在中国同样如此，在中国社会逐渐跨入文化多元化的今天，我们汲取其它民族的文化思想，那么，中国同性恋的发展会有一番广阔的天地。文化多元性和同性恋的关系可以这样定义：文化多元性不仅仅是同性恋发展的决定性因素，还是其发展的推动力量，另一方面，同性恋也是文化的多元性的一种体现。关键词同性恋；影响；文化多元性IntroductionHomosexuality, being a typical outcome of cultural diversification, has been bringing scorching controversy all over the world. Late these few years, this venerable subculture phenomenon is gradually becoming more unveiled and opened, as the argumentation relating to homosexuality is reaching a higher point daily in China, with the appeal asking for the rights of queers emerging. Impacting influence, together with serious challenges thus is confronting the whole society of China, a country that has always been throwing her emphasis on its traditional values. Somehow this situation seems to be inevitable as the cultural diversification is occurring among different nationalities.As it is seen, the western world accepts homosexuality as a natural part of human existence, with more tolerance and sensethe treatment that queers in China have not been conferred before the arrival of cultural diversification.Cultural diversification comes with the steps of global multi-polarization, which is a phenomenon that “conducive to the establishment of a new international political, economic, and culture order, world peace and stability” (Li Ji, 1998)In this dissertation, issues concerning with homosexuality are to be defined and explained scientifically, hereafter, homosexuality in China, including its actuality, social status, would be expatiated simultaneously; other issues, for instance, homosexuality in the western world, culture multi-polarization and its characteristics, the relationship between the development of homosexuality in China and culture multi-polarization are to be discussed in succession, for the purpose of picturing legibly what has to be demonstrated about homosexuality and cultural diversification.I. Introduction to HomosexualityAccording to the definition, causes, and categories of Homo, a brief introduction to homosexuality can be made as follows.A. DefinitionThe term homosexuality was coined in the late 19th century by a German psychologist, Karoly Maria Benkert. Although the term is new, discussions about sexuality in general and same-sex attraction in particular, have occasioned philosophical discussion ranging from Plato's Symposium to contemporary queer theory. It is a manifesto of sexual and emotional desire toward a member of ones own sex or the erotic activity with a member of the same gender, to comprehend more objectively about homosexuality, two points should be laid attention to. The first is that it refers to one kind of relationship, second, it is a sense of love always chosen to describe heterosexuality existing between a man and a woman. (John F. Harvey, 2003)There is no agreement among the scientific community, religious groups or homosexual people themselves as to the definition of homosexuality. Lawrence J. Hatterer, author of Changing Homosexuality in the Male, has given this definition: “One who is motivated, in adult life, by a definite preferential erotic attraction to members of the same sex and who usually, but not necessarily, engages in overt sexual relations with them.” Weve found this to be a good working definition, though a full explanation of the condition of homosexuality goes much deeper. B. Causes of HomosexualityHomoerotism is brought about by a multitude of root causes which are constituted of congenital and environmental causation.Congenital causation indicates the causes that were inbred such as gender incretion variation and potentially heritable characteristics. However, environmental causation seems to be much more complicated: a disrupted family life in early years, a lack of unconditional love on the part of either parent, a failure to identify with the same-sex parent, leading to fears of the opposite sex, incest, or molestation, dominant mothers and weak fathers, demonic oppression. Later, these problems can result in a search for love and acceptance, envy of the same or the opposite sex, a life controlled by various fears and feelings of isolation. (Li Yinhe, 1998) All of these may play a part in causing homosexuality, but no individual factor alone can cause it. Along with outside factors in a persons life, his own personal choices have played a key role in forming and shaping his homosexual identity, though few will admit this. (Li Yinhe, 1998)C. Categories of HomosexualityOn basis of gender, female human who act homosexuality are called “Lesbian”, while the male group is provided with the expression “gay”, which is originally created to describe beauty and joy. Through considerations of purposes and approach of homosexuality act, there is unitary homosexuality, indicating those who are prone to maintain a steady-going homosexual partnership with their companions for a certain long time, and then there is spiritual homosexuality, in which both participants keep the appetency of sexual activity whereas they may refrain from idiographic behavior, due to fears or strong religious convictions.II. Homosexuality in ChinaA. History of DevelopmentConsiderately searching, scientists find amount of evidence relating to homoerotism in the long-flowing history of China, formal or not, bringing us to the fact that the phenomenon had been planted in this society since the society was planted.In the archaian China, beyond expectation, homosexuality was accepted by the community with a mercifully peaceable attitudeperhaps the reason lies in that there was religious power that bounded the society little and that exoteric emperors and patricians all boasted idiosyncratic interests towards homosexuality then.There had existed this kind of culture in China for a time of thousands of years, with the thread that could easily be found in the tales of “Long Yang”, “Duan Xiu”, and “Xie Tong”, which were then recorded in the history annals. In Qing Dynasty, according to Zhang Beichuan, professor of Qintao Medical Institute, homoerotism was prevailed in some areas of China such as Fujian province, where, in 1991, a couple of male homosexuality companions celebrated their wedding ceremony in public.However, it does not seem that the situation would develop in the way it had been inas a matter of fact, homoerotism had been in such complex, untoward circumstances since modern China. Not until late 80s last century did homosexuality become a focus that caught intense public attention, with substantive scholars of Iatrology, Sociology and Ethnics who commenced a further research; simultaneously, it seems that the mainstream culture, including official attitude towards its subordinate, gradually ignores its elegance sanctity, encouraging varied homosexual activities arising from underground and unveiling their mystery.To sum up, the developing history of homoerotism in China could be described as delineation called parabola, reaching its high tide in the ancient times, falling down to its low tide as time goes by, retouching a higher point in modern times.B. Social StatusBeing in such sensitive position, it is not so hard to figure out in what social stratum may the queers laysituation dose not seem to be so charitable to them, though living in the so-called civilized community. Homoerotism is considered to be evil and, a kind of criminal behavior, which contradicts with the direction of divinity. Furthermore, owing to the bondage of feudalistic ideology in China, homosexuality is prone to be criticized and animadverted. Instead of being respected, Homoerotism is far from being admitted by communities, especially before the establishment of new China, notwithstanding that the circumstances have been in a loosing style since then. In the view of most citizens of China, homosexuality may equal to the filthy words such as stigmatic and hideousadjectives that are created to describe all the ugliness in the world, which seems unfair for this phenomenon belonging to subculture. Under the oppressive pressure coming from the society, this group of specialty has to lead their painful life gingerly underground, no self-esteem, no understandingly paid attention to, and no common rights enjoyed by ordinary citizens.Yet, unfairness and discrimination still turns out to be the main theme of the social status of gays and lesbians, with no formal law documents promulgated officially. It looks as if queers have never possessed, nor realized, their position in the mainstream community as they always assemble in private places. Xu Tianming, syndic of SAC, holds his view that this group of people, are actually of little solicitude of commonality and government“they are under the situation where there is no concern. Clubs and bars of queers scatter around large cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, which have not yet been paid attention to, nor forbidden, on account to the obscure comportment of governmentsilence is what they manage to retain, on the whole.Though without harsh strike and persecution in history, Mr.Xu pointed out, queers in China could hardly gain the recognition of public opinion, lying in the way of their admitting their homosexual identities dauntlessly.“Comrades”, an appellation of homoerotism groups in China, could be the attestation illuminating their veracious social statusthey are struggling in their way opposite to ethic and morality ideology remained in the bondage of 5000 years feudalist system, seeking for the light of dawn, the sign that they could ultimately have themselves liberated.C. Ideas and AttitudesUp until present moment in China, attitudes towards homosexuality may be divided into three aspects: recognition, opposition and neutrality, though most would have their viewpoints of opposition.Homoerotism, in dissenters eyes, goes against the basic regulation of human evolution and the natural function; it is an exhibition of retrogress, not mention that this activity plays an active role in stimulating the spreading of AIDS.Some add that homosexuality proves the source of criminal commitments, combats with morality system of the society at the same time, with an eye to its inactive influence to connection between family and marriage. Nevertheless, those are not among the standpoints of the proponents whose tolerance supports their looking on this kind of marginal culture with a dissimilar aspect. They consider that the only distinctness between homosexuality and heterosexuality rests with the participants choice of sexual partners, which only depends on ones liberty. Since the two both satisfy the flowing of emotional affection and the sex appealing, it is of no excuse to dogmatically estimate that heterosexuality is morally equitable while homosexuality not.As to the neutral part, the phenomenon is far from their consideration, videlicet, they do not weigh homoerotism as significant as to challenge the balance of the society, nor deviate normal routine of their lives.Attitudes have changed radically in the past hundred and fifty years, swinging from casual acceptance to antagonism to guarded acceptance again. The Chinese Psychiatrists Association removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses in April 2001. However, as scriptwriter and teacher Cui Zien, one of the few openly gay intellectuals in today's China points out, in his country, it is still seen as a psychological disorder. "In the West, its frowned on to criticize homosexuals and even more to make them feel different," says Cui Zien, contrasting it with Chinese