ABSTRACT
Inasmuch as homosexual behavior is practiced by individu als, the biographical method has often proved appealinghence the "hall of fame" approach singling out homosexual notables, who are often presented as moral exemplars set apart from their historical context. (See "Biograph ies: Collective," III.T). A contrasting historiographic trend seeks to determine context, and then to situate the individuals within it. This approach, often associated with the Social Construction research program, has its own problems stemming from its tendency to reduce individuals to the status of mere puppets of their social situation and to obscure continuities linking experience from one era to another. There is also a trend to broaden the scope of inquiry to comprise homosociality, including same-sex friendship, whether or not this be expressed genitally (see "Friendship," XIV.K). Another area of uncertainty is the parallelism that has often been assumed-rather than demonstrated-between lesbian and gay male experience. Historically, many cultures have not regarded the two as homologous. This section cites short methodological studies as well as larger works attempting synthesis.
