Sexuality and Our Diversity: Integrating Culture with the Biopsychosocial

Marcus C. Tye is Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, and a Professor in the Psychology Department. A licensed clinical psychologist, his quantitative research has included the role of privileged communication (confidentiality) in psychotherapy, children’s memory, and credibility assessment. His work in sexuality has included fair custody evaluations with LGBT parents and the ethical dilemmas posed by “re-orientation therapy.” He first started teaching human sexuality in 2003 and aimed to write a comprehensive textbook that was accessible for beginning students, yet relevant for advanced students. His goal was to include cultural variation, gender and economic equity, global development, and LGBT equity throughout the text. Dissatisfied with texts that were heavily influenced by one theoretical perspective, he has written a text that is respectful of the multiple intellectual disciplines that contribute to a full understanding of gender and sexuality, including neuroscience, developmental, cognitive and social psychology, while also respecting the work of historians, comparative public policy and law. When teaching and writing about sexuality, Dr. Tye explains to students how to reconcile seemingly contradictory perspectives and conflicting studies on topics such as gender differences. He contextualizes specific topics such as STIs in a broader picture of comprehensive sex education and public policy, access to healthcare, and economic inequality. Prior to full time academic administration, Dr. Tye’s other regular teaching included the evolutionary origins of human nature, cross-cultural psychology, and abnormal psychology. He has an AB from Princeton University, with additional undergraduate study at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University. His doctoral degree is from the University of North Dakota, with clinical training completed within the New York State Office of Mental Health. He has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Micronesia, and North America, and cultural diversity forms a core part of his professional writing and work.