A Radical Behaviorist Reading of Sexual Dissidence: Between Science and Politics
Between Science and Politics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31505/rbtcc.v28i1.2267Keywords:
behavior analysis, sexuality, gender, politicsAbstract
Human sexuality has been historically regulated by institutions that operate both through coercive practices and through the establishment of social values. Drawing on Radical Behaviorist theses, we argue that, although Behavior Analysis has been associated with discriminatory practices against minorities, it can also provide foundations (e.g., antimentalism and contextualism) for politically engaged praxis with dissident populations. We also seek to contribute to a radical behaviorist social psychology by examining the values that permeate its scientific production and by discussing its countercultural potential. Thus, we (1) problematize essentialism in gender and sexuality; (2) revisit the uses of behavioral technology and their effects; (3) synthesize the societal dimension of these categories; and (4) present a multidimensional understanding of sexual orientations. We argue that these discussions avoid individualizing reductionisms and situate categories such as gender and sexuality as relational positions within cisheteronormativity, thereby fostering resistance as a collectively constructed phenomenon.
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