The rise of chemsex: queering collective intimacy in neoliberal London

Since 2011, various public health organizations have observed the growth of the sexual practice ‘chemsex’ in the UK, primarily in London. The term chemsex refers to group sexual encounters between gay and bisexual men in which the recreational drugs GHB/GBL, mephedrone and crystallized methamphetamine are consumed. This article uses a conjunctural perspective to make sense of the rise of chemsex within the historical conditions in which it has emerged. Drawing on a document analysis as well as interviews with 15 gay and bisexual men, this article argues that the rise of chemsex can be interpreted as an embodied response to material conditions shaped by neoliberalism: specifically as a desire for an intimate mode of collectivity during a historical moment when collectivity itself is being superseded by competitive individualism as the privileged mode of being in the world (Gilbert, J. [2013]. Common ground: democracy and collectivity in an Age of individualism. London: Pluto Press). In doing so, this article provides a different account to pathologizing media and medical representations of chemsex that appeared in 2015, whilst also contributing to a growing literature that attempts to map the balance of forces of the present conjuncture.     

Gender Roles and Internalized Sexual Stigma in Gay and Lesbian Persons: A Quadratic Relation

Purpose: No previous research has deeply investigated the association between gay men and lesbians’ adherence to gender roles and their internalized sexual stigma. This study suggests a potential non-linear correlation between these factors. Methods: Seventy-five gay men and 70 lesbians responded to self-report questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate linear, quadratic, and exponential models and to determine which model best explained the correlation. Results: The quadratic model best explained the correlation, showing no gender differences. Conclusion: Adherence to gender roles constitutes a relevant factor in predicting internalized sexual stigma.     

The resources of ageing? Middle‐aged gay men's accounts of Manchester's gay voluntary organizations

Middle‐aged men's experiences of gay voluntary organizations (GVOs) are neglected in research. To address this knowledge gap, this article extends Bourdieusian theorizing beyond that deployed by Hakim (2010) and Green (2008) concerning ‘erotic capital’ to demonstrate how norms in GVOs can facilitate or frustrate mobilization of ‘ageing capital’ by middle‐aged gay men living in Manchester (UK), which has implications for comparable cities within and beyond a UK context. Based on interviews with 22 men aged 39–55, this article demonstrates how ‘ageing capital’ can facilitate challenge to gay ageism but also how such ageism can frustrate and even overwhelm men's capacities to deploy ageing capital in generic GVOs, thus reinforcing intergenerational conflict and expression of ageism towards younger gay men. In doing so, this article contributes to knowledge about the reproduction of the relations of ageism in a particular field of gay existence.     

Invisible students: experiences of lesbian and gay students in social work education in Greece

This article explores through semi-structured interviews the experiences of four lesbian and two gay students from the Social Work Department in the Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Greece. The complete absence of openly out lesbian or gay students or faculty members in the Department was considered reflective of the particular social and cultural context of Greece. Participants reported that lesbian and gay issues were marginalised in the curriculum and that heteronormativity often prevailed in the classroom. Consequently, same-sex sexuality was generally invisible and, when discussed, certain faculty members and peers often appeared to be uncomfortable. Within this context, participants stressed the importance of the professors’ role regarding the climate and content in the classroom. None of the participants considered that their sexual orientation had affected negatively their academic attainment; the lesbian or gay identities sometimes had a positive effect on participants’ academic attainment level exactly because of the negative impact these identities had on their social life. Most participants felt that their studies had not prepared them adequately for gay affirmative practice. Implications for social work education are considered.     

韩国新村运动与我国社会主义新农村建设——"面向21世纪新农村建设中韩学术研讨会"述略

韩国新村运动,对我国社会主义新农村建设有着多方面的启迪。韩国新村运动不仅仅改善了农民生活环境,增加了农民收入,更重要的是提高了国民的社会伦理水平,如勤勉、诚信、节俭、自助、平等、合作等思想和精神,从而使新村运动逐步由政府推动变成农民的自觉行动。所有这些都是永远无法从资本和技术中获取的,这也许是最值得我们向韩国新村运动学习的内容。     

基督教与川康边疆建设 ——以边疆服务运动为中心的考察

抗日战争及解放战争时期,中华基督教会全国总会在四川西康民族地区开展的一系列事工,在一定程度上促进了川康边疆的建设和发展。小学的兴建,改善了川康边民的教育环境,促进了边疆教育事业的发展;医院的开办,使边民首次接触了西医,促进了西医业在该地的兴起;农场的创建,扩展了该地农牧业的饲养范围,为川康民族地区培养了一批生计干事,更新了边民的农耕观念。同时,边疆服务运动在边民的信仰建设方面也取得了一定成效。以上措施在客观上积极促进了川康民族地区的建设和发展。     

都市类报纸与"公共新闻"实践探索——以《楚天都市报》、《武汉晚报》为分析对象

“公共新闻”运动是20世纪90年代美国新闻界发起的一场声势浩大的新闻改革运动。“公共新闻”倡导媒体关注公共领域建设,鼓励民众参与公共事务,积极寻求与公众、政府间的沟通与交流,以探寻公共问题的解决之道。近两年国内也掀起了一股“公共新闻”热潮,其中都市类报纸的“公共新闻”实践具有一定的代表性,不仅秉承了“公共新闻”的核心理念和基本原理,同时也具有自身特色,对新闻媒体探索如何在当前新的社会形势下发挥信息沟通和舆论导向作用具有积极的示范效应。     

环境运动促进生态和谐与社会和谐的现实结合

构建社会主义和谐社会,是中国共产党提出的一个崭新的命题,是一项重大的战略决策。如何将生态和谐现实地融入到整个社会和谐的体系之中,是当前我们所面临的重大问题。其中民间机制尤其是环境运动在这方面的作用是不容忽视的,它通过对政府机制的补充,有效地促使了生态和谐现实地融入到社会和谐的整体中。     

新社会运动与德国绿党的形成

绿党是西欧当代政治格局中具有鲜明个性和富有政治影响力的新型政党。德国绿党是在一系列新社会运动中崛起和发展起来的,它在德国政治舞台上刮起了一股“绿党”旋风,但由于其组织上的派别林立,政治纲领的理想化和过于激进,曾使绿党陷于被动的境地。深入思考新社会运动对德国绿党的影响将给我们有益的启示。     

The Haunting of Shame: Autoethnography and the Multivalent Stigma of Being Queer,Muslim, and Single

Sociology has neglected the terrain of the gay Muslim single as a sociological phenomenon. Produced and managed via meaningful social conduct, the gay Muslim single often holds negative symbolic and cultural worth, one of lacking identification and presence. The stigma of the gay Muslim single is actively reproduced through social and power relations. I examine multiple stigmas and dichotomies by using autoethnography to illustrate the human lived experience of a gay Muslim single, who is silenced, invisibilized, and embodies a social life of “emptiness.” The gay Muslim single, bringing about a “moral panic,” confronts temporal regulations, norms, and values, notably those of heterosexual ones in everyday social life. He is cast as an “outsider,” which reinforces his stigma in everyday social life.