Same-sex platonic intimacy in the past Flashcards
What does man-man platonic intimacy look like in the Arab context?
- In Arab world affection among men is common without sexual connotation
- Arab culture has historically been segregated so emotions and feelings are channeled to the same sex
- But as Arab world changes so do the customs –> increased contact between sexes means these gestures are slowly becoming dated
How did men show affection and touch in the early 1800s?
- Platonic touching was normal and not sexualized despite strict gender norms.
- Physical touch signified emotional love and friendship but without a sexual connotation.
- Platonic touch was consistent across ethnic and racial groups (though photographic evidence is limited).
- These touches were often misinterpreted as romantic or sexual but were platonic.
What was “romantic friendship” in the West?
- Men and women had romantic friendships in the 1800s and early 1900s.
- Men’s romantic friendships were often shorter, typically occurring during youth and young adulthood.
- Women maintained romantic friendships throughout their lives, lasting for years or decades.
- Middle-class women were more likely to organize their lives around romantic relationships due to resources.
- Some women avoided unequal marriages and focused on careers, while others had romantic relationships with women during marriages
How were men’s romantic friendships viewed in the Victorian era?
- Men could share love letters, express affection, share beds, touch, or kiss without suspicion.
- Such friendships were seen as emotional support and preparation for marriage.
- Love letters, though not sexual, expressed deep emotional bonds.
- These relationships helped men mature and were viewed as necessary for emotional security.
What factors allowed romantic friendships to exist in the Victorian era?
- Sex-segregated institutions like schools and lodges.
Social prohibitions on mixed-gender friendships. - Lack of a widespread concept of “gay” identity.
- Absence of a national educational system through late adolescence.
Why did men’s romantic friendships end by the late 19th century?
- Emergence of sexual identification (homosexuality) altered masculinity.
- Development of the national schooling system.
- Same-sex romantic friendships persisted in different forms until around WWII.
- Before WWII, boys were not expected to show interest in girls; instead, they formed deep bonds with other boys.
- Post-WWII, boys’ interest in girls was viewed as a sign of masculinity, while interest in boys became feminized.
How and why did women’s romantic friendships end?
- Women’s same-sex romantic friendships ended around the early 20th century.
- The emergence of sexology pathologized many practices once considered normal.
- These changes led to increased suspicion about relationships between women.
- However, women gained language to describe their experiences and preferences
What role did women’s networks play in their daily lives?
Relations between Women in Nineteenth-Century America
- Women were mostly bound to the home, church, and visiting other women’s homes for social purposes.
- These networks allowed women to interact, be cared for, and develop self-esteem.
- Hostility between women was discouraged, fostering supportive relationships.
- Women would often exchange critiques of men in letters to each other
How were mother-daughter relationships?
Relations between Women in Nineteenth-Century America
Form of apprenticeship, where mothers would teach their daughters about traditional domesticity and household tasks
How was married life structured for women in the 19th century?
Relations between Women in Nineteenth-Century America
- Marriage was often traumatic due to the lack of constant contact with female networks and comparatively shallow emotional connection they had with their husbands in comparison to their female friends.
- Married life highly structured, the birth of first child is a rite of passage in which the woman secluded for a long amount of time before/after delivery > female friends involved in process
