Laud Humphreys Tearoom Trade Study Was About

There are many ethical controversies in the tearoom sex study.

Laud humphreys tearoom trade study was about. Humphreys argued his deception was justified as the acts were so stigmatised he would not have got the information otherwise. In 1970 laud humphreys then a washington university phd student wrote his infamous thesis tearoom trade which was a study of homosexual behaviour between men in public toilets in a u s. Impersonal sex in public places 1970 is commonly presented in many sociological methods texts as an example of covert and deceptive research methods that endangered subjects without their consent lenza 2004 p. Perhaps not surprisingly given the topic the research was highly controversial however this was not just due to its sensitive subject matter.

Robert allan laud humphreys october 16 1930 in chickasha oklahoma august 23 1988 was an american sociologist and author. The tearoom trade study from 1965 to 1968 laud humphreys an ordained episcopalian minister conducted dissertation research on men who have impersonal sex with men humphreys 1970. A study of homosexual encounters in public places the study is an analysis of male male sexual behavior in public toilets. Tearoom trade was laud s most significant book what emerged in this ground breaking research was a sociological portrait of conservative and tormented lives.

In tearoom trade 1970 1975 laud humphreys writes about the homosexual relations that took place in various tearooms i e public bathrooms in an unidentified american city during the mid to late 1960s. Laud humphreys and the tearoom sex study laud humphreys died in from lung cancer. He is noted for his research into sexual encounters between men in public bathrooms published as tearoom trade 1970 and for the questions that emerged from what many believe to be unethical research methods. Laud humphreys tea room trade.

Married men family men conservative men whose personal proclivities and preferences were powerful enough institutionally grounded enough to break through the conventions of social life. Dissertation which was entitled tearoom trade. Humphreys book is based on his 1968 ph d.