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An Ethological Perspective on Homosexuality during Adolescence

Cornell University

An ethological perspective is presented as an alternative to traditional developmental approaches to adolescence. From an evolutionary point of view, the onset of reproductive capability during adolescence marks the significance of this time during the life course. Thus, the apparent anomaly of male and female youth "preferring" not to engage in heterosexual activities that have the potential to maximize genetic fitness but to participate in homosexual activities that do not have the same adaptive repercussion poses a challenge for an ethological perspective to interpret. To better understand an ethological perspective, basic ethological principles are applied to the emergence and expression of homosexuality during adolescence. First, evidence bearing on the genetic etiological under-pinnings of homosexuality within humans is reviewed through an examination of (a) behavioral genetic studies and (b) hormonal research. Next, adaptive considerations are presented, in particular the prevalence of homosexual behavior among various animal species and human societies, as well as evolutionary pressures that maintain a stable level of homosexuality in the human population. Balanced polymorphism and kin selection are reviewed as answers to the ultimate or functional question. Finally, the "naturalness" of adolescent homosexuality as an outcome of an ethological perspective is proposed. Homosexuality is thus presented as a sexual orientation that is not so much a matter of choice but of biological necessity.

Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 2, No. 3, 283-302 (1987)
DOI: 10.1177/074355488723008


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