There are several studies involving rats which follow the above
scenario. Check out the research.
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Hi. Thought I'd drop into this thread.
I've only been skimming it as the other thread eats up my self-alotted
"e-mailing time".
I think i'm familiar with the research your thinking of-- (although I
cannot even name the researcher) I'm pretty sure it was an experiment
conducted by some behaviourists in the early seventies (1970-72)-- I
recall them observing "rat" random violence, rape and homosexuality in
an overpopulated environment.
Although I agree with your sentiment alex: That it isn't any "nature"
fighting back at us, it's just what happens--
I have to voice my concerns about the example: This is purely opinion.
It has to do the use of the word "homosexuality".
Overpopulation was the global warming of the seventies. Civil rights
movements were taking off and making some headway.
Homosexuality was taken off of the nations (America's) list of
pchycological disorders and was officially "not a disease" in 1969.
As with many unexplainable things-- it was quickly given another
explaination-- "maybe it's the overpopulation-- yeah-- that's what
causes rape and murder and--- homosexuality (Dramatic music- Da Dunnnnn)
The experiment was strangely focussed (in my opinion)
I mean, come on-- they looked at a box of horny rats that were piled on
top of one another and that's supposed to explain something about
humans?
The experiment explained (supposedly) why there is a greater number of
"homosexuals" in the cities rather than in smaller towns.
Well, I had the misfortune of spending a summer in Lethbridge-- a
sparsely populated ditch in southern Alberta. And let me tell you. Small
town life is so boring for *straight* singles that they either do drugs
until they can't say their name or they get married at nineteen, just to
stay with the in crowd. What is there for a gay person to do when
everybody is at home feeding their kids and watching Roseanne?-- Move to
the big city--Particularily the large metropolitan centres.
So the experiment failed to take into account human "migration"
It also failed to account for the fact that "homosexuality" occurs in
populations where the stress of overpopulation is not even present.
My work in Vancouver has put me in contact with a few gay First Nations
artists. Many people don't know this, but before christianity many of
the First Nations had a specific term for a gay person-- they were
called two-spirited. They were believed to have the spirit of a man and
a woman and were often shamans-- or medicine people-- and were often
sought out for advice because they had a unique perspective on
relationships.
Now this brings me to an elaboration of Drakirs earlier point-- that the
evolution of our technology and culture is as natural as our genetic
evolution.
In bygone years-- a gay person might be given a paintbrush and a healthy
living salary in Europe or electro-shock therapy in North America.
There are many theories that explain "homosexuality" as some product of
the decline of civilisation or a downward spiral in our development--
nature just can't support all the normal people so she made some queers
to cut down the future generation-- Increased visibilty of gays is often
read as an increase in gays.
But what about the memetic contribution of gays?
The energy that would have been put into making children went somewhere.
Painting the sistine chapel-- the conquest of the known world by
Alexander the Great-- literature-- (not to belittle all the really good
gay plumbers and auto mechanics)
Is that not part of our "natural" evolution and henceforth a natural
thing?
Do these things not contribute to the formation of a Culture-National
Identity-Spiritual Focus-Military Power
(well, maybe not to military power in the US Army ;)
Long story short--
What the behaviourists in 1972 called "homosexuality" had to do with a
box of horny rats, it is about as culturally significant to what is
termed a "gay lifestyle" as prison sex.
Just a few thoughts---
-- Regards +--------------------------------------------------------+ Ken Pantheists http://www.lucifer.com/~kenpan +--------------------------------------------------------+