The Circle Always Grew: Folklore and Gay Identity, 1945-1960

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Degree type
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Graduate group
Discipline
Subject
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Folklore
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Author
Azzolina, David S
Contributor
Abstract

It has become a common place in Gay studies that the rise of Gay culture as we know it today has its roots in the years immediately following World War II. Using life history field techniques as a means of doing field research, the folklore of Gay men of this era is examined. Interviews were conducted with men who were out in the Gay world during the fifteen years after 1945. Biographies of the men are provided. Specific kinds of folkloric behavior are explicated including bar customs, nicknaming, parties, festival events and popular means by which men were able to identify one another as Gay and become part of the Gay community. The role folklore plays in the process of Gay identification is also examined. Historical context is provided for the era as it impacts the ways in which Gays were seen and the influence the Gay presence reflects the tenor of the times. Underlying concepts of Gay identity and community are given priority as a theoretical underpinning furthering understanding of the ways in which folklore is a necessary ingredient for both identity and community. It is demonstrated that any understanding of Gay men of that era must attend to their creative abilities in using folklore to carve a place for themselves in the cultural arena.

Advisor
Margaret Mills
Date of degree
1996
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
The graduate group for this dissertation is Folklore and Folklife.
Recommended citation