b. 1942
David F. Greenberg is an American sociologist and criminologist at New York University, best known for his sweeping historical and cross-cultural study of homosexuality. His scholarship examines how social structures, law, and religion have shaped attitudes toward sexuality across civilizations. His work bridges sociology, history, and the philosophy of social construction.
Authored 'The Construction of Homosexuality' (1988), a landmark cross-cultural and historical analysis of attitudes toward same-sex behavior
Contributed to criminological theory, particularly Marxist and critical approaches to the sociology of law
Analyzed the relationship between religious institutions and the criminalization of sexuality
Developed sociological frameworks linking economic structures to moral and legal norms around sexuality