Papers by Stefano Ramello
In this paper two very different cruising places are compared: a pu¬blic park in a small town and... more In this paper two very different cruising places are compared: a pu¬blic park in a small town and a gay sauna in a bigger city. Two phases of research were conducted: an initial phase to observe sex-negotiation strategies and different ways of sexual intercourse; the second phase was dedicated to semi-structured interviews with some frequenters. This study shows a close interaction between environment, erotic practices, gender and sexual identity. Quite surprisingly sexual intercourses are generally non-protected. The pattern of collective action has the body as a means of communication, because of the silence that is required of all participants as the condition to fulfill their fantasies. The urban environment allows a specialization unknown in the small town: in bigger cities the growing number of saunas seems to be linked to the process of privatization of public spaces. At last, none of the interviewees said that they frequent cruising places looking for a long lasting relationship; nevertheless, all the interviewed homosexual men declared that at least once they found a longtime companion at the park or in the sauna.
In modern western societies it is not uncommon for men to have casual same-sex intercourses with ... more In modern western societies it is not uncommon for men to have casual same-sex intercourses with varying frequency depending on their biographical history. In this paper two very different cruising places are compared: a pu¬blic park in a small town and a gay sauna in a bigger city. Two phases of research were conducted: an initial phase to observe sex-negotiation strategies and different ways of sexual intercourse; the second phase was dedicated to semi-structured interviews with some frequenters. This study shows a close interaction between environment, erotic practices, gender and sexual identity. Quite surprisingly sexual intercourses are generally non-protected. The pattern of collective action has the body as a means of communication, because of the silence that is required of all participants as the condition to fulfill their fantasies. The urban environment allows a specialization unknown in the small town: in bigger cities the growing number of saunas seems to be linked to the process of privatization of public spaces. At last, none of the interviewees said that they frequent cruising places looking for a long lasting relationship; nevertheless, all the interviewed homosexual men declared that at least once they found a longtime companion at the park or in the sauna.
Specific identities of men cruising for same-sex acts (cruisers) in a park located in a North Ita... more Specific identities of men cruising for same-sex acts (cruisers) in a park located in a North Italy city were investigated. In this study 57 men were interviewed by three different methods (individually, couple interviews, and one focus group of friends). A pragmatic approach was followed throughout the analysis of the data, drawing from a number of analytic strategies, including constant-comparative, typographic, and narrative methods. Queer theory and queer historiography were also blended into the examinations of the men’s lives. Cruisers’ identities consisted of three elements: self-perception, or what an individual felt or perceived about himself and his contexts; experiences, or what and/or how he behaved or acted; and interpretations drawn from the cruiser’s experiences, or the meanings he ascribed to himself and his life concerning his experiences, in juxtaposition to what he perceived as the normative values of the contexts of which he was a part. Six identity types among cruisers were delineated, providing evidence of different ways non- heterosexual men identify in cruising places. Understanding the nuances of cruisers’ identities will prevent other researchers from extrapolating from only the visible elements or actions of this population.
Behind the Mask: A Typology of Men Cruising for Same-Sex Acts, 2013
Specific identities of men cruising for same-sex acts (cruisers) in a park located in a northern ... more Specific identities of men cruising for same-sex acts (cruisers) in a park located in a northern Italian city were investigated. In this study, 57 men were interviewed by three different methods (as individuals, in couples, and one focus group of friends). A pragmatic approach was followed throughout the analysis of the data, drawing from a number of analytic strategies, including constant-comparative, typographic, and narrative methods. Queer theory and queer historiography were also blended into the examinations of the men’s lives. Cruisers’ identities consisted of three elements: senses, or what individuals felt or perceived about themselves and their contexts; experiences, or what and how they behaved or acted; and sensibilities, or the meanings ascribed to selves and their lives concerning their senses and experiences, in juxtaposition to what they perceived as the normative values of the contexts of which they were a part. Six identity types among cruisers were delineated, providing evidence of different ways nonheterosexual men identify in cruising places. If researchers understand these nuances of cruisers’ identities, it can help to prevent extrapolations from only the visible elements or actions of this population.
Journal of Aging Studies, Dec 14, 2012
This paper looks at generational differences in the Italian gay community and specifically contra... more This paper looks at generational differences in the Italian gay community and specifically contrasts both setting and patterns of social interaction of two cohorts of men (older men and younger adults) patronizing bathhouses. The meaning of adult development and aging of sexual minorities is little understood in Italy. For the first time in history, a generation of self-identified gay men is approaching retirement, and yet we do not understand what well-being and successful development in later life mean in this community. Moreover, the aging processes among gay menwho are already in their retirement years,many of whom are still “closeted,” remain invisible. The ethnographic report, based on two years of participant observation, reveals the culture of the gay bath and the social and sexual spaces of older and younger gay men and their self-definitions and relationship to the “gay community”.
Featured Papers by Stefano Ramello
This paper looks at generational differences in the Italian gay community and specifically contra... more This paper looks at generational differences in the Italian gay community and specifically contrasts both setting and patterns of social interaction of two cohorts of men (older men and younger adults) patronizing bathhouses. The meaning of adult development and aging of sexual minorities is little understood in Italy. For the first time in history, a generation of self-identified gay men is approaching retirement, and yet we do not understand what well-being and successful development in later life mean in this community. Moreover, the aging processes among gay men who are already in their retirement years, many of whom are still “closeted,” remain invisible. The ethnographic report, based on two years of participant observation, reveals the culture of the gay bath and the social and sexual spaces of older and younger gay men and their self-definitions and relationship to the “gay community”.
Conference Presentations by Stefano Ramello
This paper reports the results of an ethnographic study conducted in a gay sauna located in a cit... more This paper reports the results of an ethnographic study conducted in a gay sauna located in a city in Northern Italy. The analysis of the field notes shows a large number of common elements in the same sex encounters. Each man is promoting conditions that enable other men to develop their potential and express their characteristics. A primary goal is that everyone respects the ability of others as well as their freedom to learn and develop their sexual skills. Moreover, the men present in the sauna provide protection from the arbitrary exercise of coercive power. This assumes that decisions can be negotiated among those who are involved. The idea of autonomy is common to all these aspirations. According to the respondents, autonomy is the ability of individuals to reflect on themselves and make decisions, choosing between different actions and possibilities, but respecting the rights of the others. Responsibility cannot be continuous and therefore goes hand in hand with confidence. The trust, which is both the product and the guarantor of responsibility and sincerity, runs through the whole system of cruising between men. Nevertheless, a deeper analysis of the observations and the interviews shows very disturbing aspects. All respondents report experiences of violence in the sauna. Strangely, many men consider sexual violence in sauna not a real rape, but " a sexual intercourse against will ". Moreover, surprisingly for the writer, the problem of sexually transmitted diseases does not appear a particularly relevant point: sex acts are generally consumed without any protection. Thanks to the interviews, it is very clear that men underestimate their vulnerability to negative events that affect the health and HIV infection is no exception. Moreover, none of the HIV-positive respondents shows any forms of ethical concerns about the possibility of infecting a healthy partner in sauna.
This paper is the result of an ethnographic study conducted in a park located in a small town in ... more This paper is the result of an ethnographic study conducted in a park located in a small town in Northern Italy. This story begins with lonely, scared men. Indeed, many men can fear a not well defined sexual identity. In this case, they can decide to have casual sex with other men in a public park: an obvious, convenient and less stressful choice than entering a gay club. I call these men " lonely cruisers ". Anyway, it may happen that a man is able to create personal and close links. Sometimes a man walking along the paths in the park can meet men with whom he had sex in the past, or men he knows of view, and then he can suddenly desire to stop and talk. Sometimes men share stories about experiences at the park or discuss private details of their life outside the park, as family, work, and feelings too. Some men become friends. Furthermore, the interactions between cruisers at the park may imply a sense of participation in a community and allow the construction of homosexual identity. As a matter of fact, the park represents an important step in the process of defining the homosexual identity of many men. Indeed, a deeper analysis of the interviews conducted with respondents who define themselves as " homosexuals men " lead to a very different story. There are no references to fear or loneliness, but rather these men express a very strong need to belong to a community and meet other homosexual men in order to share common experiences and similar stories. In particular, they explain that when they felt for the first time the urge to experiment same sex acts and further the necessity to deal with their developing homosexual identity in a secure environment, the park represented one of the most important access routes to the homosexual community. Eventually, all the interviewed homosexual men declared that at least once they found a long-time companion relationship at the park. And in this way, generation after generation, new experiences are shared. This is the point: we started with the story of a lonely cruiser and found so different, exciting, and sometimes unexpected stories.
For many men in modern western societies it is not uncommon to have casual same-sex intercourses ... more For many men in modern western societies it is not uncommon to have casual same-sex intercourses with a varying frequency depending on their biographical history. In this paper a research about sex acts in a public park in a small town located in northern Italy is reported: the study was performed in order to observe sex-negotiation strategies and different ways of sexual intercourse. The documentation of the participant observation data consisted of notes recorded in field notebooks. These data are records of what I experienced and learned through interaction with other people. Field notes include an account of events, how people behaved and reacted, what was said in conversation, where people were positioned in relationship to one another, their comings and goings, physical gestures, my subjective responses to what I observed, and all other details and observations necessary to make the story of the participant observation experience complete. Field notes were written discreetly during participant observation or following the activity, depending on the context and the situation. Whatever the case, notes were expanded as soon as possible before my memory of the details faded into a descriptive narrative. In this paper I propose a model for the analysis of my field notes: while commenting on the narrative component of the notes, I will show how a description of a casual sex encounter is similar to a fairy tale, and how techniques developed to parse and access fairy tales could be used to improve access to the study of cruising practices, in particular I will use a method directly derived from Vladimir J. Propp's works. This short paper has three parts: first; I expose some consideration about the possible use of narrative analysis on ethnographic field notes; next, I provide a brief introduction on Propp's fairy-tale structure analysis; and third, I offer my suggestions of how field notes about casual encounters can be similarly analyzed.
For many men anonymous same sex acts in public places are an important social institution, well o... more For many men anonymous same sex acts in public places are an important social institution, well organized to find a sexual partner. Explicit and easily understandable codes of communication are shared by the participants in these places. In this work the results of an ethnographic research conducted in the public park of a city located in northern Italy, which hosts anonymous sex acts between men, are presented. The search for impersonal sex, or sex without emotional involvement between two sexual partners, defines a major component of male homosexual culture. For many men the first sex act with another man is defined, in addition to the recognition of one's desires, by learning the ways to meet partners in public places, and the debut in the places where they can be found. Some places are outdoors: parks, gardens and beaches. The location of these places is strictly related to the characteristics of the territory. Areas and places for occasional sexual encounters require at least two features: they have to be public and safe at the same time. These " erotic oasis " , as they have been defined already a quarter of a century ago, should be freely accessible to all members of the community, but must also ensure the highest protection and anonymity for the participants. The city park under consideration satisfies these two imperatives. In this paper it will be also shown that " sex without love " is appreciated by itself. Outdoors sexual encounters are appealing not only because they are available, secure and anonymous, but also because they are considered very pleasant and especially "exotic". It will be shown that only anonymous sex can provide peculiar feelings, emotions, anxieties, and excitements. In these places specific forms of expression of desire, specifically researched and carefully constructed, are found.
In modern western societies it is not uncommon for men to have casual same-sex intercourses with ... more In modern western societies it is not uncommon for men to have casual same-sex intercourses with varying frequency depending on their biographical history. In this paper two very different cruising places are compared: a public park in a small town and a gay sauna in a bigger city, both located in northern Italy. Two phases of research were conducted: an initial study was performed in order to observe sex-negotiation strategies and different ways of sexual intercourse; the second part of the research was dedicated to semi-structured interviews with some frequenters. This study shows a close interaction between environment, erotic practices, gender and sexual identity. Quite surprisingly sexual intercourses are generally non-protected. The men involved in occasional encounters consider costs and benefits of different courses of action and choose the one judged most attractive: it is a matter of different ways of living and evaluating the risk. The pattern of collective action has the body as a means of communication, because of the silence that is required of all participants as the condition to fulfil their fantasies. The urban environment allows a specialization unknown in the small town: in bigger cities the growing number of saunas seems to be linked to the process of privatization of public spaces. At the park are found embryonic forms of relations between the frequenters in order to meet needs that go beyond the occasional sexual intercourse. The interactions in some cases imply a sense of participation in a community and allow the establishment of networks of social relationship and the construction of a gay identity. At last, none of the interviewees said that they frequent cruising places looking for a long lasting relationship; nevertheless, all the interviewed homosexual men declared that at least once they found a long-time companion at the park or in the sauna.
Books by Stefano Ramello
This eBook contains a selection of chapters that were presented at the first global conference en... more This eBook contains a selection of chapters that were presented at the first global conference entitled Storytelling: Global Reflections on Narrative, held in Prague, Czech Republic, in May 2012. The conference marked the start of a new Inter-Disciplinary.Net project aiming to provide a space in which ‘stories about story’ can be told, and the use of stories in the widest possible range of aspects of human life can be reported. With this intention proclaimed, delegates were invited to contribute papers on a series of core themes: story as a pedagogical tool in academic disciplines; narrative and the gathering of stories of lived experience; and
the place of story and storytelling in any area of professional practice. The chapters in this volume reflect this cross-disciplinary dimension with contributions from a range of fields and backgrounds - media studies, anthropology, political science, literary studies, medicine, and visual arts, among others - and, crucially, from around the world too, enriching the content with a variety of international perspectives.
The studies collected in ‘Fascination of Queer’ utilize many established social sciences research... more The studies collected in ‘Fascination of Queer’ utilize many established social sciences research methods and generally view the posing of research questions, the development of data-gathering activities and the processes of analysis and interpretation as iterative and recursive. That is, all aspects of research informed by queer theory continue to shift as the research develops. Outcomes are as varied as the different methodologies employed. However, what the studies share is a commitment to revealing the usually-non-perceived relationships between experiences of human sociality and culture, and expressions and experiences of sexuality. All outcomes of these studies in some way illuminate the ways in which sex, sexualities, sexual identities are both influenced by and influence individual and/or collective experiences. ‘Fascination of Queer’ reflects not merely the prolific and heterogeneous nature of contemporary queer cultural production, but also, more profoundly, the need of an interdisciplinary overview for discussing the relation between gender, the body, language, sexuality, artistic form, and politics. Rather than attempting to formalize a specifically ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ style and identity - something that perhaps is impossible - our volume seeks instead to open up to different sexualities. The queer theory both confirms and questions the concept of a queer identity: confirms it, that is, as a platform, from which to challenge stereotypical representations of sexuality, yet also question it as, at least in part, a product of precisely those stereotypical representations. ‘Fascination of Queer’ is thus necessarily both critic and self-critic. ‘Fascination of Queer’ will contribute towards a fundamental rethinking of the relations between theory, sexuality and identity.
In November 2011, artists, professors, students and scholars from around the world gathered in Pr... more In November 2011, artists, professors, students and scholars from around the world gathered in Prague, Czech Republic, to attempt to define what could be considered the erotic. The conference sought submissions that addressed interactions of the erotic with history, art, literature, practices, performances, pedagogy, and sexuality, among many others. This wide focus brought together an intellectually rich meeting that interrogated the boundaries between eroticism, sex, and desire. This volume represents a sampling of papers presented at the conference, and the diverse focuses within these papers are indicative of the inter- and trans-disciplinary work that was presented. Each work within this collection brings a fresh and unique approach to the erotic and, in its own way, tries to answer the question, ‘What is erotic?’
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Papers by Stefano Ramello
Featured Papers by Stefano Ramello
Conference Presentations by Stefano Ramello
Books by Stefano Ramello
the place of story and storytelling in any area of professional practice. The chapters in this volume reflect this cross-disciplinary dimension with contributions from a range of fields and backgrounds - media studies, anthropology, political science, literary studies, medicine, and visual arts, among others - and, crucially, from around the world too, enriching the content with a variety of international perspectives.
the place of story and storytelling in any area of professional practice. The chapters in this volume reflect this cross-disciplinary dimension with contributions from a range of fields and backgrounds - media studies, anthropology, political science, literary studies, medicine, and visual arts, among others - and, crucially, from around the world too, enriching the content with a variety of international perspectives.