The Who: Scientists of Sexuality
“Every theory is a self-fulfilling prophecy that orders experience into the framework it provides.” ~ Ruth Hubbard
Science cannot be carried out without an agent - a scientist. Every scientific theory has a scientist behind it, a real person with their own beliefs and experiences that produce biases in the work they do. Despite what we may be led to believe, science is highly subjective despite the high degree of objectivity it proclaims. The influence of these biases in science can be crazily obvious or painfully subtle. Thus, science should be examined with a critical eye. This is especially important in the case of sexuality science since due to the political significance it has in society as of late. One thing that we can consider in understanding these biases are the scientists themselves. Who are they? What makes their lives unique, and how do these experience affect their work? Is their work valid despite this? All of these questions need to be addressed before we can consider studies of sexuality.
Science cannot be carried out without an agent - a scientist. Every scientific theory has a scientist behind it, a real person with their own beliefs and experiences that produce biases in the work they do. Despite what we may be led to believe, science is highly subjective despite the high degree of objectivity it proclaims. The influence of these biases in science can be crazily obvious or painfully subtle. Thus, science should be examined with a critical eye. This is especially important in the case of sexuality science since due to the political significance it has in society as of late. One thing that we can consider in understanding these biases are the scientists themselves. Who are they? What makes their lives unique, and how do these experience affect their work? Is their work valid despite this? All of these questions need to be addressed before we can consider studies of sexuality.
-Alfred Kinsey-
Documentary: "Let's Talk about sex"
Alfred Charles Kinsey was raised in a strict religious household, but he was interested in biology from a young age on. After leaving the Methodist household and attempting to study engineering for two years, he finally decided to study biology at Bowdoin College in Maine. Kinsey continued his education at Harvard and eventually Kinsey became a professor. As a professor he met his open minded wife- Clara McMillen aka Mac. Kinsey originally studied Gall wasps but then changed his studies because not many scholars were interested in the work. He is well known for being one of the biggest, if not the biggest, pioneer in the studying of human sexuality. He wrote the Kinsey reports : “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” in 1948 and "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female" in 1953 and he opened the Institute for Sex research at Indiana University. From his numerous sex histories that were collected the main messages were that when it comes to human sexuality, nothing is "normal,” and the Kinsey Scale. The Kinsey Scale is a scale from zero to six. Zero meaning exclusively hetereosexual and six meaning strictly homosexual. Kinsey states that everyone fits somewhere on the scale, hence why there is no norm.
Alfred Kinsey passed away in 1956 at the age of 62, leaving behind a legacy of work that influenced social and cultural values surrounding human sexuality worldwide.
Alfred Kinsey passed away in 1956 at the age of 62, leaving behind a legacy of work that influenced social and cultural values surrounding human sexuality worldwide.
Examples From Kinsey |
Trailer: "Let's Talk About Sex" |
Whom you Love: The Biology of Sexual Orientation
"Tell me whom you love, and I'll tell you who you are."
Whom You Love is a speaker series hosted at Michigan State University by Dr. Marc Breedlove, a professor in neuroscience. This series seeks to bring together top scientists in the field of sexuality in one program that is accessible to both scientists and the general public alike. This series also brings together a large number of scientists that choose to take part in this very controversial field. In this way, Whom You Love gives a sampling of many top contemporary researchers in this field whose experiences affect their research in a large way.
Whom You Love is a speaker series hosted at Michigan State University by Dr. Marc Breedlove, a professor in neuroscience. This series seeks to bring together top scientists in the field of sexuality in one program that is accessible to both scientists and the general public alike. This series also brings together a large number of scientists that choose to take part in this very controversial field. In this way, Whom You Love gives a sampling of many top contemporary researchers in this field whose experiences affect their research in a large way.
For more information, please visit the Whom You Love Website or browse below.
Check out the Press page of the Whom You Love website to find links to interviews of the scientists involved and more information about the series!