"Tearoom Trade"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the book book "Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places" by Laud Humphreys which redefines the sociology of deviance by showing that men from mainstream society were the main participants of a highly deviant activity, impersonal sex in restrooms dubbed the tearoom. It discusses how he demonstrates that unlike prevalent conceptions of deviant acts as belonging solely to a deviant subculture, such as the gay culture, tearoom sex involves men who are married and live with their wives. It evaluates the criticism on his research strategies such as passing as a deviant in the bathroom in order to be permitted to enter into a deviant world as one and the degree of deception and misrepresentation he uses in order to obtain his information.

From the Paper:

"According to Humphreys (1975), the participants engage in tearoom sex in accordance with this fundamental rule: maximize the reward and minimize the cost. In this case, the reward is to obtain sexual satisfaction while the cost is exposure to unwanted intruders such as friends from mainstream society, police and bullies (pp. 45-7). The tearoom environment suits men from mainstream societies for several reasons. The most popular restrooms used are located near freeways, the main commuter routes. These men can always use the excuse that they stop to use the restrooms on their way home. They risk being seen if they go to gay bars and baths. Furthermore, the silence and the impersonality of the tearoom atmosphere allow the men to dissociate themselves from the deviant world the moment they leave the bathrooms, without risking any relationships (Humphreys, 1975, pp. 152-4)."

More papers on "Tearoom Trade":

• Book Review # 2862 : "Laud Humphrey's "Tearoom Trade"
• Book Review # 24358 : "Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places" by Laud Humphreys"
• Argumentative Essay # 61118 : "International Trade"

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