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Understanding sexual identity and the
African-American culture in the United States
Pamela Valera
College of Social
Work
University of
South Carolina
Self-identified
heterosexual married men who engage in male-to-male sexual encounters in
the United States are largely an under-researched group. How these men
manage their multiple identities, resolve their current life experiences
with their same-sex liaisons, and conduct themselves in their marriages is
the focus of this paper. Particular
attention is paid to exploring these paradoxes in the lives of
African-American men. The
contradictions and challenges between heterosexual public life and their
stigmatized male-to-male sexual attractions and sexual behavior are
explored in this presentation.
A
starting point to understanding the lived experiences of any ethnic group
is to learn about their complex identities and how they mange these
identities and make meaning of their social environment Because social
science is interested in understanding human diversity, exploring this
population may provide a better understanding of the many dimensions of
sexual identity and culture. The purpose of this paper is to
understand and explore the identities of ethic groups, particularly
African-American men in the United States, This paper represents an effort to
examine unique ways in which individuals navigate between multiple
stigmatized identities. This presentation will provide dialogue to
uncover assumptions, investigate a hidden and hard-to-reach population,
promote a deep understanding, increase awareness, explore new issues, and
make meaning of the socio-cultural contexts in which the individuals live
(Strauss & Corbin, 1998; Creswell, 1998).
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