Tearoom Trade

In the mid-1960s Laud Humphreys undertook an intensive sociological study of male homosexual activities in public restrooms. The results were published two years ago in Tearoom Trade . Humphreys&s; study raises the question of the balance between the freedom of the individual researcher and that of his colleagues in allied professions. Humphreys&s; research provides a case study in the impact of social research on human freedom. The notion of human freedom offers a useful vantage point for judging the impact of social research on both individuals and the larger society. Personal freedom, which might also be termed psychological freedom, is built on personality tendencies which help the individual to make reflective choices and to act on these choices. Privacy is related to personal freedom in the sense that certain aspects of the self are seen as inviolable or subject to discussion only under the most restricted conditions.