Michael Bochow (born 26 March 1948) is a German sociologist who has authored a number of

empirical studies Empirical research is research using empirical evidence. It is also a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empiricism values some research more than other kinds. Empirical evidence (the record of one ...

of German

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

men with a particular focus on the impact of

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

. After completing his schooling in

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

, Bochow moved to Berlin, where he studied

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. After earning his Ph.D., he was employed as a sociologist at the Free University. Beginning in 1987, Bochow distributed the first of what developed into a series of

questionnaire A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through survey or statistical study. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of ...

s concerning the behavior of homosexual men, surveying sex practices (both

safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable enclosure used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body ...

and risky) as well as the awareness of HIV, AIDS, and prevention among

men who have sex with men Men who have sex with men (MSM) are men who engage in sexual activity with other men, regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity. The term was created by epidemiologists in the 1990s, to better study and communicate the spre ...

. These studies, which were supplemented by interviews, were initially commissioned by the Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, the national umbrella organization of over 100 local agencies offering education and providing services to people with HIV infections, and subsequently by the federal agency for health education. Bochow has also investigated Germany's Turkish minority, particularly men who have sex with men. He has also authored studies of older gay men,Männerschwarm: Alt und (doch nicht) allein? Wie leben schwule Männer im Alter heute?
of gay men who live outside of big cities, of lower-class gay men, and of social differences between gay men in western and eastern Germany.

Works

* ''AIDS. Wie leben schwule Männer heute? Bericht über eine Befragung im Auftrag der Deutschen AIDS-Hilfe.'' Berlin: Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., 2nd ed. 1989. 123 pp. * ''AIDS und Schwule. Individuelle Strategien und kollektive Bewältigung. Bericht über die zweite Befragung im Auftrag der Deutschen AIDS-Hilfe e.V.'' Berlin: Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., 1989. 119 pp. * ''Schwuler Sex und die Bedrohung durch AIDS. Die Reaktionen homosexueller Männer auf AIDS in Ost- und Westdeutschland. Ergebnisbericht zu einer Befragung im Auftrag der Bundeszentrale für Gesundheitliche Aufklärung / Köln.'' Berlin: Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., 1994. 173 pp. * ''Informationsstand und präventive Vorkehrungen im Hinblick auf AIDS bei homosexuellen Männern der Unterschicht.'' Berlin: Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., 1997. 125 pp. * ''Schwules Leben in der Provinz: zum Beispiel Niedersachsen.'' Berlin: Edition Sigma, 1998. 195 pp. * ''Das kürzere Ende des Regenbogens. HIV-Infektionsrisiken und soziale Ungleichheit bei schwulen Männern.'' Berlin: Edition Sigma, 2000. 342 pp. * '' Schwule Männer, AIDS und Safer Sex - neue Entwicklungen. Eine Befragung im Auftrag der Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung, Köln.'' Berlin: Intersofia and Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, 2001. 143 pp. With English summary. * ''Homosexualität und Islam. Koran - Islamische Länder - Situation in Deutschland.'' Michael Bochow and Rainer Marbach, eds. Hamburg: MännerschwarmSkript Verlag, 2003. 159 pp. * ''Muslime unter dem Regenbogen. Homosexualität, Migration und Islam.'' Berlin: Querverlag, 2004. 270 pp. * ''Schwule Männer und AIDS. Risikomanagement in Zeiten der sozialen Normalisierung einer Infektionskrankheit. Eine Befragung im Auftrag der Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung, Köln.'' By Christine Höpfner, Holger Sweers, Michael Bochow, and Michael T. Wright. Berlin: Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, 2004. 190 pp. With English summary. * ''Ich bin doch schwul und will das immer bleiben. Schwule Männer im Dritten Lebensalter.'' Hamburg: MännerschwarmSkript Verlag, 2005. 369 pp.

References

External links

*
Biography by Männerschwarm

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bochow, Michael German LGBTQ writers German sociologists Living people 1948 births German non-fiction writers German LGBTQ scientists German male non-fiction writers 20th-century German LGBTQ people 21st-century German LGBTQ people