Peacocks, Chameleons, Centaurs

Gay Suburbia and the Grammar of Social Identity

Cloth $57.50 ISBN: 9780226072913 Published October 2003

Paper $25.00 ISBN: 9780226072920 Published October 2003

What does it mean to be a gay man living in the suburbs? Do you identify primarily as gay, or suburban, or some combination of the two? For that matter, how does anyone decide what his or her identity is?

In this first-ever ethnography of American gay suburbanites, Wayne H. Brekhus demonstrates that who one is depends at least in part on where and when one is. For many urban gay men, being homosexual is key to their identity because they live, work, and socialize in almost exclusively gay circles. Brekhus calls such men "lifestylers" or peacocks. Chameleons or "commuters," on the other hand, live and work in conventional suburban settings, but lead intense gay social and sexual lives outside the suburbs. Centaurs, meanwhile, or "integrators," mix typical suburban jobs and homes with low-key gay social and sexual activities. In other words, lifestylers see homosexuality as something you are, commuters as something you do, and integrators as part of yourself.

Ultimately, Brekhus shows that lifestyling, commuting, and integrating embody competing identity strategies that occur not only among gay men but across a broad range of social categories. What results, then, is an innovative work that will interest sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, and students of gay culture.

Review Quotes
Contents

"Brekhus thoroughly and engagingly sorts out the axes of identity in contemporary society, making this a highly readable book that will be indispensable to teachers of introductory sociology and more advanced scholars of identity. By examining how people manage a stigmatized identity in an unmarked social space, Brekhus discerns a number of identity strategies. . . . Because he illustrates these axes so clearly, and so deftly unpacks the conflicts that emerge along these axes, this book will prove crucial for students of interaction and culture for years to come."—Dawne Moon, American Journal of Sociology

"Highly readable and enjoyable."—Yvette Taylor, Sociology

“Bravely going where few ethnographers have gone before—to the suburbs—Wayne Brekhus brings back a challenging and complex story, one in which gayness may be openly embraced, a self you only sometimes wear, or a life to which you commute. This is a book that expands and updates our understanding not just of gay identities but of identity work of all kinds.”

“Sociological works that explore gay and lesbian identity have long keyed on the distinction between homosexuals who were in the closet and those who were coming out. But this important work will change all that. Peacocks, Chameleons, Centaurs marks a major advance in the broadening and deepening of social identity analysis.”

“When people discover that Wayne Brekhus studies gay suburbanites, they always ask if he is gay, but never if he is suburban. So why are some elements of identity apparently more central than others? Beginning in depth with gay suburban men, then moving through examples of vegans, skinheads, fundamentalist Christians, and workaholic graduate students, Brekhus explores the varieties of identity commitment to develop a Goffmanian analysis of how we think about ourselves. In the end, grammar may provide a clue: Is being gay what I am (a noun), what I do (a verb), or how I am described (an adjective)? This is a fascinating example of how ethnographically grounded theory can be both illuminating and, in the end, fun.”

“Anyone—anyone—interested in the daily project of constructing and managing who we are, in the ways we use space and time to help accomplish this, and in the ways these choices affect us will find Brekhus’s work essential. Refreshingly important insights are delivered here through a writing style and range of illustrations that make this book simply a pleasure read.”

“Peacocks, Chameleons, Centaurs is an original and fascinating portrait of a neglected aspect of American life—gay suburbia. This book is indispensable reading not only for students of contemporary gay and lesbian life but for anyone interested in how identities actually work.”

Contents

1 Gay Suburbanites: A Case Study in the Grammar and Microecology of Social Identity
2 "Everything about Me Is Gay": Identity Peacocks
3 "You Have to Drive Somewhere Just to Be Gay": Identity Chameleons
4 "Gay Defines Only a Small Part of Me": Identity Centaurs
5 Contested Grammars: Gay Identity Disputes
6 Shifting Grammars: Lifecourse Changes in and Structural Constraints on Identity Management
7 Vegan Peacocks, Christian Chameleons, and Soccer Mom Centaurs: Identity Grammar beyond Gay Identity
8 Duration Disputes: Identity Stability vs. Identity Mobility
9 Density Disputes: Identity Purity vs. Identity Moderation
10 Dominance Disputes: Identity Singularity vs. Identity Balance
11 Conclusion
Appendix: Grounded Theory and Analytic Fieldwork
References
Index

For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu

Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology

Gay and Lesbian Studies

Psychology: Social Psychology

Sociology: Urban and Rural Sociology

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