 |
 |
 |
 |
Chapter 3 (continued)
The Family Structure
As mentioned above, a certain pattern of family interactions is implicated in the development of men who become homosexual. Such family situations were also shown to exist in the histories of many heterosexual men.5(p71) The Bieber study, reviewed in some depth above, bears out the similarities between developmental backgrounds of some homosexual and heterosexual men by presenting details from both a homosexual and a control group.
This again begs the question, “Why do some men become homosexual while others do not?” Moberly reminds us that the disturbances that lead to development of homosexuality come out of “specific difficulties in individual relationships,” not from a particular type of family environment.6(p5) As stated above, the child’s perception of his relationships and his emotional response to those perceptions is central to his development of identity.3(p92, 98) (See “Perception and Interpretation” above.) The way a boy perceives and responds to his family situation can depend on many of the factors previously described—such as inborn temperament and personality traits and his sense of basic trust—and these vary greatly across the population creating a vast continuum of vulnerability or invulnerability. Therefore, there should be no surprise when the particular family environment described by Bieber and others fails to produce a homosexual son.
This section will review the factors within family structures that are commonly seen in the backgrounds of homosexual men. First, the marital relationship between father and mother will be considered. Next, the “triangular system” comprised of parents and child will be discussed. Finally, the interactions and attitudes that occur among siblings will be reviewed.
____________________