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Cross-Cultural
Studies
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Youth
Conversing with Suitors
Illustration from Jami, "Seven Thrones"
Persia, 1556
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The study of
cultures different
from one's own can give insights into different ways of viewing the
world and different ways of organizing society. Just as
man/boy
love has been the primary form of
homoeroticism throughout
most of Western history, it has also been an important cultural
institution in many different places around the world. From
the pederasty
of the
ancient Mediterranean world to the "contemplation
of the unbearded" practiced in Sufi Islam, to the Chinese "passion of the
cut sleeve"
(named after the story of emperor Ai, who reputedly cut off
his
sleeve rather than disturb the sleep of his beloved), to the insemination
rituals of Melanesia, to the two-spirit traditions
of North
America, man/boy love has been socially accepted in
many forms.
In some societies man/boy love has been highly formalized and
prescribed, while in others it has been merely an open, accepted
practice free
of sanctions. The post-industrial West is unique in it's
degree
of intolerance toward man/boy love.
Cultural studies of sexual behavior,
including many
on-line articles, are replete with
descriptions of
diverse manifestations of man/boy love. The handful of
articles
linked below, excerpted from NAMBLA publications, is intended to
supplement this rich literature.
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