Symbolic Interactionism In The Social Interactions Sociology Essay Example

personal information is optional. In this survey's data collection, the main focus was individual posts from the forum's discussion board regarding heterosexual marriage from the perspective of gay men. These posts varied in length and were primarily written in Arabic. It should be noted that certain posts were deleted by administrators at the time of conducting this survey.

The analysis used two approaches: textual discourse analysis considering the posts as texts, and analyzing them as social interactions involving both textual content and communicative interactions. It is important to mention that these posts must be part of a discussion thread where they respond to previous posts or are responded to by subsequent posts. All studied posts were transcribed and classified using an analytical codebook based on Goffman (1963), Ross (1971), Coleman (2000), Li (2002), and Wang's (2004) work with some modifications made.The focus of this research was on Egyptian homosexual men's views and experiences with heterosexual marriage. Two main categories were established: 1) Supportive of Marriage and 2) Opposed to Marriage. The first category included subcategories such as Pressure from Family, Social Acceptance, Islamic Faith, Commitment to Lifelong Relationship with Wife, Desire to Change Sexual Orientation through Marriage, Disappointment with the Gay Community, Concealing Homosexuality, and Desire for Children. In contrast, the second category included subcategories like Respecting Personal Desires and Respecting Others' Desires. Some categories used in previous studies were not utilized here while new ones were introduced instead. The creation of these new categories was driven by their relevance to the collected data. These newly established categories played a crucial role in incorporating diverse perspectives from different participants and significantly contributed to the explanations and

conclusions drawn from the study.

Strengths, limitations, and unification:
Nonparticipant research was chosen in order to maintain the authenticity of participants' interactions unlike participant research where involvement can influence interaction structure and content (Dickerson et al., 2001). To address this finding, researchers decided to observe as nonparticipants rather than actively posting in the group since active posting proved counterproductive.However, one disadvantage of nonparticipant research is the inability to follow up on potentially ambiguous or unclear posts made by authors and their implications for readers (Barker, 2008). Additionally, it must be noted that data collected from an online forum only represents Egyptian gay men with internet access who are willing to share their opinions and experiences on GayEgypt.com. Consequently, many other Egyptian gay men are not included in this dataset. Furthermore, it should be acknowledged that analysis of Arabic-posted entries was conducted in English which may have caused some semantic distortion in a few instances. Moving forward to Chapter IV, two main explanatory categories were established based on the collected data: "For Marriage" and "Against Marriage," each with several subcategories. The category of "For Marriage" pertains to individuals who have either been married or intend to marry a woman. To differentiate between various perspectives, it was necessary to create explanatory subcategories labeled as A) Respecting One's Own Desires and B) Respecting Others. It is important to note that these subcategories are not mutually exclusive, as some participants identified with both to different extents.The text discusses the concept of Respecting One's Own Desires in relation to self-identified gay men. These individuals believe that being in a heterosexual marriage feels "unnatural" because it involves emotional intimacy, sexual activity, and fulfilling

traditional male roles with a woman. They find it more authentic and genuine to develop these aspects within a relationship with another man. Many participants argued that they cannot fulfill their desires within a heterosexual marriage. For example, Ali questioned why some gay men choose marital relationships with women despite having no desire for intimate engagement with them. Fouad agreed, acknowledging that his homosexual desires are an integral part of his identity that cannot be disregarded or altered.

The text also expresses the preference for connecting with an intimate partner both inside and outside of bed. As a man seeking companionship from another man, the author finds that no woman can fulfill their desires. Finding a compatible adult male is important to them as holding hands, cuddling, and sleeping with another man brings pleasure since their love is exclusively for men.

Additionally, many participants in this discussion acknowledged the unavoidable expectation of engaging in sexual activity. Amr expressed his dilemma on how to balance living with someone while also having human needs. Others found this issue even more complex.

Overall, the text highlights the belief held by self-identified gay men regarding their desires and preferences for intimate relationships, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and compatibility within those relationships while recognizing potential challenges associated with societal expectations.Contrary to popular belief, many participants stressed that their desire was not only about sex. According to Ashraf, those against marriage believed it would disrespect or harm their wives, children, families, in-laws, or same-sex partners. They argued that proposing to a woman implied being a heterosexual man who solely desired sexual relations with women. Adel felt conflicted as he believed this contradicted his

true nature; he could never imagine himself merely being a husband - protective, supportive, dominant and physically intimate. The harm caused by such relationships extends beyond the well-being of the wife. Seif worried about how his children would react if they discovered their father's homosexuality and betrayal towards their mothers if he were to marry them. He believes it would permanently end their relationship. Ahmed and Seif both expressed confusion and disagreement regarding gay men who marry solely for societal acceptance. Some participants believed that using a woman, her family, and oneself in a satirical play was not just selfish but also immoral and tragic. Samir questioned the specific vows exchanged by these men. Amgad and Khaled believed that adopting the title of husbands would harm their same-sex partners since they were the only ones who truly loved them for who they are instead of conforming to society's expectations. According to Amgad, regardless of any official documents or others' approval, he and Kareem are married in their hearts.
The text introduces the "Against Marriage" category, which describes participants in heterosexual marriages or those planning to have one. This category includes subcategories such as surrendering to divine law, societal acceptance, familial acceptance, disappointment with the gay world, hiding one's homosexuality, and desire for children. Many participants fell into multiple categories based on their primary reasons while also having secondary reasons influencing their beliefs or decisions.

In the Surrendering to Divine Law category, many participants believed that their actions were deemed "wrong" because God only approved of heterosexual sex that followed natural laws for procreation. Sherief emphasized that marriage was the sole acceptable context for sexual activity to please

God. However, within this category, participants had different approaches to dealing with their homosexual behaviors.

Ibrahim claimed to have stopped engaging in or attempting same-sex encounters as a way to "cleanse" themselves from what they saw as a deviant lifestyle. Some participants mentioned experiencing a continuous cycle of succumbing to immoral desires and then repenting, hoping for prayers to be answered and ultimately cured from these unnatural urges. They believed that marrying a woman would show their commitment to changing themselves in God's eyes, echoing Mourad's sentiment.On the contrary, there were dissenters who acknowledged that those attempting to reconcile their faith with homosexuality should stop pretending. They admitted that they lacked the desire or ability to change their inherent nature in the near future but accepted living with sinful sexual behavior. Ameer's statement encapsulated this perspective: "It's not a black-and-white issue, my friend! Marriage is an integral part of one's faith." It is a significant commitment that I have made by God's grace. Currently, I am married and have established a home, hoping that it will compensate for my imperfections and earn forgiveness from God. While I may occasionally encounter other men, betraying my wife with another woman would never occur; my loyalty will always remain strong. However, I have no control over my desires for men. In terms of societal acceptance, some individuals seek validation through marriage as they grow older. Many participants in the discussion agreed with this concept. Ramy summed up his response to Mohamed, who had no interest in being intimate with women and opposed marriage: "Do you not live in Egypt? It is difficult to disregard marriage simply because one is

uninterested in women. I was like you until I turned 34 and everyone started teasing me: 'Why didn't you get married? Why didn't you get married?' Wherever I went, people would question and judge me, making me feel like a pathetic individual who needed to justify being single. People here do not respect your privacy;They believe they can interfere in your life. Two years ago, I got married and since then, no one has said anything about it. It was challenging at first but not as difficult as you might think; only the initial few months were tough before everything settled down.

"I'm not particularly excited about it, but what other choice did I have?" Ayman brought up an interesting point in his presentation on marriage in Egypt. He emphasized that marriage was the only way to attain independence and noted that individuals who were still single at 40 were expected to live with their families or else be seen as abnormal.
Family Acceptance emerged as a subtopic within this context, focusing on the dynamics between homosexual men and their families. Many participants expressed concern over how devastating it would be for their mothers if they discovered their sons' homosexuality. They believed that their mothers did not deserve such disappointment. Mounir wrote, "My mother is the most important person in my life; I cannot risk losing my relationship with her or witnessing her disappointment." The situation could escalate further as Mostafa shared how his entire family structure could crumble. His sister conveyed her husband's discontentment with Mostafa's unmarried status and felt ashamed of their family because of it. This added pressure to the sister and potentially put

her own marriage at risk.

Another significant aspect discussed was the yearning for children.Several participants admitted to getting married solely for the purpose of having children. Many agreed with Nour's poster, which expressed his desire to marry a woman in order to fulfill his longing to hold his baby. While recognizing the connection between gender and parenthood, they viewed them as separate concepts. They expressed disappointment with the gay community, describing it as filled with dishonest individuals. Yassin shared his experiences of encountering people online and at parties who were only interested in him for sexual reasons. Omar's poster echoed this sentiment, suggesting that men would deceive him by making false promises of long-term relationships and then leave after satisfying their desires. Eyad attempted to salvage his relationship with his partner but found him to be irresponsible, immature, and unreliable. Despite their efforts to resolve their differences, Eyad's partner had never been married before. After being married for four years, I tried to establish an authentic domestic and faithful relationship with my partner.However, when I confronted him about infidelity, he yelled at me instead of calmly addressing the issue.He insulted me by comparing me to a controlling woman who wanted to restrict him.After this experience, it would be foolish for me to trust any man with my heart again.Hossam, another participant in our discussion added that "that gay world" had recently caused him even more trouble.Just last week, Hossam met someone online and agreed to go on a date. The other man invited him over since his family was out of town. When Hossam arrived at the date's place, the man took control of his cellphone

and demanded that he give up his wallet, watch, and iPod. If he refused, the date threatened to expose Hossam's homosexuality by calling everyone in his phonebook.

The accounts provided explain why many participants supported Hassan's post about advising gay men to get married and enjoy their lives without complications. This perspective aligns with the concept of marriage as a convenient arrangement for straight individuals. It offers companionship, security, discreet management of desires, and even includes a subcategory known as "Disguise." This involves marrying or planning to marry in order to hide one's homosexuality and conform to societal norms.

It is important to emphasize that this subcategory should be distinguished from societal acceptance. Samy's poster exemplifies this distinction by stating that his decision to marry was not driven by hiding his true identity but rather maintaining his hidden homosexuality. Atif and his lesbian friend view marriage as a contract that allows them to live together without interference in their personal lives.

Many participants expressed admiration for this idea and desired a similar perfect match.Wageeh shared a personal story about almost losing his job, family, and life. He mentioned how his coworkers frequently discussed attractive individuals, but he chose not to participate as it didn't interest him. However, they started teasing him for not behaving like a "real man" by never talking about having a girlfriend or engaging in explicit sexual conversations like other men did. Going to work became unbearable due to the mocking expressions from those around him.

The situation worsened when someone vandalized his car with the word 'Faggot' spray-painted on it one day. This incident pushed him close to passing out. He lived in fear that

if anyone discovered his sexuality, he would be shamed and abandoned by everyone he knew. In desperation, he made a promise to himself - either end his own life or marry the first woman he met.

Eventually, he ended up marrying his cousin and finding a new job, but it didn't change anything about his homosexual experiences. Despite that, since getting married, people have treated him with more respect. Other participants also shared their own stories of being mocked, threatened or tormented because of their sexual orientation. For instance, Single Shady recounted an incident where one of their "butch" coworkers unexpectedly approached them from behind and touched their buttocks. When they glanced back at him, they instantly recognized the familiar 'I-know-your-dirty-secret' expression in his eyes.
He said that if he were married like his partner, who had never experienced such mistreatment before, he would have never encountered this kind of harassment. Many people in this group agreed that it was solely because of the influence of an ignorant and narrow-minded society dominated by male chauvinism and homophobia. Louai expressed hope for a future where society becomes more knowledgeable about gender diversity and understands that homosexuality does not mean being effeminate or depraved. They stressed that accepting femininity over masculinity is completely acceptable, and everyone should be able to be their true selves freely.