theory presentaton
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The College Experience of Gay Students:
Theories and Recommendations
Constance CarmonaAlexander Devers
Janice FolkKatina Velentzas
Purpose
1. To conduct and analyze qualitative research on an underrepresented demographic
2. To synthesize participant data with existing models of identity development
3. To expand established body of literature on the experiences of gay and lesbian college students
4. To examine how two communities impact the growth of sexual identity
5. To formulate methods of assisting gays and lesbians in their tridimensional development
Why?
Suicide Rejection
Hate Crimes
Assaults
Negative
Messages
Why? (cont.)
• Suicide is the leading cause of death among LGBT youth 18-21
• 52% of LGBT youth have experienced parental rejection
• The most frequent victims of hate crimes
• LGBT individuals are twice as likely to be physically assaulted
• 9 in 10 hear negative messages about their sexuality
(Marshal, Dietz, Friedman, Stall, Smith, McGinley, Thoma, et al., 2011)
Gay on Campus: Notable Events
• 1920: Harvard’s Secret Court
• 1948: Alfred Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
• 1967: The Student Homophile League at Columbia U.
• 1970: Queer Studies at Berkeley
• 1971: Gay Advocate’s Office at U. of Michigan
• 1991: The first gay research institute at CUNY
• 1998: U. of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard murdered
• 2009: The first endowed chair of gay studies at Harvard
(Vaserfirer, 2012)
Methods
• Qualitative data on 5
participants
▫ Demographics:
Age: (μ = 24)
Gender: 4 Males, 1 Female
Variety of college profiles
▫ The impact of sexual
identity on their college
experience
▫ Tridimensional identity
formation: S.I.I.
Identity
Sociocognitive
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Limitations to Research
• Small, non-diverse sample size
• Geographically homogeneous
▫ 71% of respondents attended college in the northeast
• Dearth of historical measurements and LGBT literature
• Data has not been reviewed to abide by community
standards
• Qualitative research conducted without formal training
▫ Statistical methods training
▫ Statistical analysis training
▫ Statistical computing training
Student 1: Hayley
• 23 years old, Psychology major
• Married for 6 months to her partner of 4 1/2 years
• International student from Trinidad & Tobago
• Attended conservative, Catholic high school
• Embraced sexual identity upon postgraduate matriculation
Student 1: Hayley (cont.)
• Sociocognitive▫ “I trusted [other people] in the Trinidadian ex-pat
community really easily at first. I wanted to believe my sexuality didn’t matter to them.”
▫ “I tried to make a good impression. Now I have my boundaries about what I say.”
• Intrapersonal▫ “It was a really tough transition to college. I felt
handicapped in that regard.”• Interpersonal
▫ “I didn’t know being a lesbian existed.”▫ “I made it a priority to find an LGBTQ club or
organization where I felt accepted.”
Student 2: Aaron
• 25 years old, B.A. Political Science and Psychology
• Single, living with college friends
• Happy with college experience
• Active in college community: student government, newspaper, study abroad
Student 2: Aaron (cont.)• Sociocognitive
▫ “After a few years, I reached out to him and found him to have serious issues with black, gays, and other ‘non-mainstream white’ constituencies. I chose not to come out to him and do not speak to him.”
• Intrapersonal▫ “I was a very active member of several organizations in
which I held many officerships.”▫ “I eventually moved in with friends from The Anchor and
I continue to live with them… I consider myself very much a part of my college social circle.”
• Interpersonal▫ “I received positive reactions from my family, except for
my biological father.”
Student 3: John
• 27 years old, B.A. Theater
• In a relationship, from Chicago, IL
• Involved in theater and music in college
• Poor academic performance
• Did not come out until his sophomore year
• Lost his fiancé in a car accident
Student 3: John (cont.)
• Sociocognitive▫ “Because I was so involved, I had friends everywhere on
campus. I knee people’s names and faces and would say hello to everyone as I passed them walking around campus.”
• Intrapersonal▫ “I always thought it was a phase I was going through, so
I dated women. ” • Interpersonal
▫ “I was never physically confronted or assaulted. The bullying was mostly verbal and social. I don’t think it had much to do with my sexuality at the time, more to do with… [how] I was a nerd.“
▫ “This campus is a breeding ground for the gays!”
Student 4: Jesse
• 21 years old, Psychology and Community Studies majors
• Pledged a fraternity, joined a cross-country team, held undergraduate positions in orientation and admissions
• Tried very hard to remain closeted
Student 4: Jesse (cont.)
• Sociocognitive▫ “I judge a friendship on their kindness and ability to be
real, not what they have done.”• Intrapersonal
▫ “Spring semester I began dating a guy who I would take a bus two hours away to see. It didn’t work out but I gained a lot of insight into the gay dating scene after that relationship.”
• Interpersonal▫ “[I] had many nights where I would simply reflect on
what I wanted in life. I believe that is what gave me the strength to come out of the closet. I believed that the friends I had made would stay by me no matter what… and if they did have a problem with me, then they weren’t true friends to begin with.”
Student 5: Christopher
• 23 years old, in a relationship
• From Anaheim, CA• Involvement in on-
campus fraternity, MECHA, and several LGBT groups
• Slowly accepted his sexual identity
Student 5: Christopher (cont.)
• Sociocognitive▫ “Taking an LGBT course really strengthened my
knowledge of who I was and how to relate to others.”• Intrapersonal
▫ “My biggest growth was my freedom. I was accepted as gay on my college campus, but struggled internally because I hid it from some of my family and still do.”
▫ “Education was the most transformational experience I could have ever had.”
• Interpersonal▫ “My first semester I lived at home. But my second
semester, I lived on campus and became involved in a lot of groups. I was also working between 40-60 hours a week.”
Student 6: Ken
• 24 years old, B.A. Communications
• Single• Parochial education at
Catholic schools, including college
• Did not participate in LGBT groups on campus
• Openly identified and accepted his gay identity
Student 6: Ken (cont.)• Sociocognitive
▫ “I was ostracized for being gay when younger. Luckily, it stopped sooner than later.”
• Intrapersonal▫ “I always knew I was gay and was okay with it. My
family was always supportive. But in the back of my head, coming from such a Catholic background, I struggled with it being an issue for people.”
▫ I used to think being gay was the main part of me. Now I realize that it’s simply one part of me, and that I’m an entire person with many facets.”
• Interpersonal▫ “Living on campus made me be around people all of the
time. This forced me to become less shy. It seemed no one had an issue with my sexuality.”
Examination of Theory: Themes
• Sociocognition (synthesis of inner and social identities)
▫ Social Cognition (Choudhury, et al.)
▫ Marginality v. Mattering (Schlossberg)
• Intrapersonal (internal monologue)
▫ Model of Sexual Orientation Identity Formation (Cass)
• Interpersonal (peer groups, relationships)
▫ Validation (Rendón)
(Choudhury, et al., 2006)
(Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010)
Examination of Theory (cont.)
Choudhury, et al. (2006) Schlossberg (1989)
• Social cognition
▫ Emotional responses to
social situations based on
knowledge base
▫ Developing internal
mechanisms to consolidate
social and inner selves
(Choudhury, Blakemore, & Charman, 2006)
• Marginality v. Mattering
▫ Mattering: “Our belief,
whether right or wrong,
that we matter to someone
else”
▫ Marginality: A sense of not
fitting in
(Evans, et al., 2010, pp. 31-32)
Examination of Theory (cont.)
Cass (1996) Rendón (1994)
• Model of Sexual Orientation
Identity Formation
▫ Stage 1: Confusion
▫ Stage 2: Comparison
▫ Stage 3: Tolerance
▫ Stage 4: Acceptance
▫ Stage 5: Pride
▫ Stage 6: Synthesis
(Evans, et al., 2010, pp. 31-32)
• Validation
▫ “An enabling, confirming
and supportive process
initiated by in- and out-of-
class agents that foster
academic and interpersonal
development”
(Evans, et al., 2010, pp. 32-33)
Emergence of Common Themes
1. Traits rooted in supportive and unsupportive communities
2. Suppression or reinforcement of sexual identity to comply with community norms
3. Internal revelation that external agents exert influence on internal modes of self-conceptualization
4. Self-reasoning that sexual identity is a component of public identity
5. With return to larger community, internal scrutiny of sexual identity with its congruence to community and sociocultural standards
Five-R ModelRoot
Reinforcement
Revelation
Reasoning
Return
I. Root
Supportive Unsupportive
Sociocognitive
• Awareness of external judgment
Intrapersonal
• Internal monologue conducive to maturation
Interpersonal
• Supportive social system
Sociocognitive
• Awareness of external judgment
Intrapersonal
• Internal monologue struggles with outside rejection
Interpersonal• Unsupportive social system;
withdrawal to avoid prejudice or rejection
II. Reinforcement
Supportive Unsupportive
Sociocognitive
• Ability to connect with others and establish commonality
Intrapersonal• Community validation of
sexuality increases self-esteem
Interpersonal
• Establishes boundaries and forms supportive relationships
Sociocognitive
• Exerts to find perspective
Intrapersonal
• Community invalidation of sexuality decreases self-esteem
Interpersonal
• Sees that sexuality may not be accepted; withdraws or reformulates identity
III. Revelation
Supportive Unsupportive
Sociocognitive
• External modes of relating synthesize with self-perception
Intrapersonal
• Views sexuality as integral part of identity
Interpersonal
• Seeks to establish influential role in community
Sociocognitive• Awareness that identity
conflicts with public persona in community
Intrapersonal
• Internal conflict over significance of sexual identity
Interpersonal• Stagnated development;
continued withdrawal from community
IV. Reasoning
Supportive Unsupportive
Sociocognitive• Feeling that identity is
supported by external community
Intrapersonal
• Acknowledges self as developing and fallible
Interpersonal
• Uses position of influence to aid in the growth of others
Sociocognitive• Conscious decision to
deconsolidate social identity and true sexual identity
Intrapersonal
• Dichotomous identity
Interpersonal• Public persona remains
stagnant; discreet exploration with true sexual identity
V. Return
Supportive Unsupportive
Sociocognitive• Understanding that true
sexual identity is embraced by community
Intrapersonal• Sexual identity is internalized
as necessary component of self
Interpersonal• Employs leadership position
to socially integrate others into mainstream community
Sociocognitive
• Disassociation between true identity and public identity
Intrapersonal
• True sexual identity is suppressed
Interpersonal
• Projects publicly acceptable identity
Recommendations1. Diversity training for students, staff, and faculty
during orientations2. Appropriate and prompt addressing of alleged
discriminatory behaviors, acts, or policies3. LGBT groups normalized by student activities
departments4. Establishing LGBT mentoring programs matching
incoming first-year students with graduating seniors
ReferencesChoudhury, S., Blakemore, S., & Charman, T. (2006). Social
cognitive development during adolescence. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 1(3), 165-174.
Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido, F., Patton, L., & Renn, K. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Marshal, M., Dietz, L., Friedman, M., Stall, R., Smith, H., McGinley, J., Thoma, B., et al. (2011). Suicidality and depression disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth: A meta-analytic review. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 49(2), 115-123.
Vaserfirer, A. (2012). (In)Visibility in lesbian and gay student organizing: The case of gay student services. Journal of Homosexuality, 59(4), 610-627.
Questions for Us?Root
Reinforcement
Revelation
Reasoning
Return
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