Critical Analysis · Applied Exercise
The Limits of Categories
The research placed orientation categories under pressure without retiring them. This exercise tests what that distinction requires of a clinician.
The argument
Orientation categories function as social locations as much as psychological descriptions. They connect people to communities, histories and political identities that carry real material significance, which means a person who identifies as gay is not simply reporting a stable pattern of attraction. They are also situating themselves within a social world.
The clinician's task is to hold both dimensions at once.
Estimated time to complete this exercise: 7 minutes
Part 1 of 3
A trainee has read the research on sexual fluidity, on dimensional models, and on the non-correspondence between attraction, behaviour, identity, fantasy and community.
Which conclusion does that research actually support?
References
- Bogaert, A. F. (2015). Asexuality: What it is and why it matters. Journal of Sex Research, 52(4), 362–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1015713
- Bostwick, W. B., Boyd, C. J., Hughes, T. L., & McCabe, S. E. (2010). Dimensions of sexual orientation and the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 100(3), 468–475. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2008.152942
- Diamond, L. M. (2008). Sexual fluidity: Understanding women's love and desire. Harvard University Press.