Ritch Savin-Williams
Encyclopedia
Ritch C. Savin-Williams, Ph.D, (born 1949) is a professor of developmental psychology
at Cornell University
who specializes in gay
, lesbian
, and bisexual research. He is currently the chair of the Department of Human Development at Cornell.
in Psychology
from the University of Missouri
in 1971. He later earned an MA
in Religious Studies
in 1973 and a Ph.D in Human Development in 1977 from the University of Chicago
. Savin-Williams retrained in Clinical Psychology
at the University of Massachusetts
from 1989 to 1993 before completing his residency at Children's Hospital of Michigan
.
sexual identity
development and sexual minority
populations. In addition to his research
, he operates a small private practice.
Savin-Williams has appeared on Good Morning America
and served as a consultant for 20/20 and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
In addition, Savin-Williams has served as an expert witness
in court cases about gay adoption, same-sex marriage
, sodomy laws, and the exclusion of gays in the Boy Scouts of America
.
and sexual orientation
:
The American Psychological Association
awarded Savin-Williams the Division 44 Distinguished Book Award for The New Gay Teenager in 2005.
Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology, also known as human development, is the scientific study of systematic psychological changes, emotional changes, and perception changes that occur in human beings over the course of their life span. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
who specializes in gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, and bisexual research. He is currently the chair of the Department of Human Development at Cornell.
Education
Savin-Williams earned his Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in 1971. He later earned an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Religious Studies
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
in 1973 and a Ph.D in Human Development in 1977 from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. Savin-Williams retrained in Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
from 1989 to 1993 before completing his residency at Children's Hospital of Michigan
Children's Hospital of Michigan
Children’s Hospital of Michigan is a hospital located in Detroit, Michigan. It is part of the Detroit Medical Center. It is an international provider of pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, oncology and diagnostic services including Positron Emission Tomography and MRI...
.
Research and activities
Dr. Savin-Williams' research focuses on adolescent and young adultYoung adult (psychology)
A young adult, according to Erik Erikson's stages of human development, is generally a person between the age of 20 - 40, whereas an adolescent is a person between the age of 13 - 19, although definitions and opinions vary. The young adult stage in human development precedes middle adulthood. A...
sexual identity
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
development and sexual minority
Sexual minority
A sexual minority is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. The term was coined most likely in the late 1960s under the influence of Lars Ullerstam's ground breaking book "The Erotic Minorities: A Swedish View" which came...
populations. In addition to his research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, he operates a small private practice.
Savin-Williams has appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and served as a consultant for 20/20 and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
In addition, Savin-Williams has served as an expert witness
Expert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
in court cases about gay adoption, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, sodomy laws, and the exclusion of gays in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
Books
Savin-Williams has written and edited numerous books on adolescenceAdolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
and sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
:
- The New Gay Teenager (2005)
- “Mom, Dad. I’m gay.” How Families Negotiate Coming Out (2001)
- “...and then I became gay.” Young Men's Stories (1998)
- The Lives of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals: Children to Adults (1996)
- Beyond Pink and Blue: Exploring our Stereotypes of Sexuality and Gender (1994)
- Gay and Lesbian Youth: Expressions of Identity (1990)
- Adolescence: An Ethological Perspective (1987)
The American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
awarded Savin-Williams the Division 44 Distinguished Book Award for The New Gay Teenager in 2005.