Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2008, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2008, Sociology

The concept of hidden injuries was first described by Sennett and Cobb (1972) in reference to minority class statuses, though this concept can be applied to sexual minorities. Although universities are historically spaces where sexual identity issues are explored, identifying as non-heterosexual can impact the lives of college students, inflicting hidden injuries that are not readily apparent, but that have lasting consequences for the targets of heterosexism and homophobia. Sixteen out lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students were asked how they make meaning of incidences of heterosexism and the campus climate. A focus group was conducted with three of the individual interview participants, exploring similar questions. An analysis of the students' responses yielded four general themes. First, the overwhelming majority of students tended to minimize incidences of heterosexism and homophobia in their lives. Second, there was a desire on the part of many respondents to support heteronormativity and develop an identity apart from, rather than integrated with, sexual identity. Third, the campus climate was generally portrayed as positive, though typically in reference to less-supportive milieus. Finally, among some participants, there was the potential for resisting heterosexism, suggesting that the damage done by these hidden injuries can be countered.

Committee: Liana Sayer PhD (Committee Chair); Steven Lopez PhD (Committee Member); Townsand Price-Spratlen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2013, School of Professional Psychology

In response to an identified need in the psychological literature for current research on topics related to same-sex dating and relationships, this Professional Dissertation was developed to gain a better understanding of contemporary gay and lesbian dating and intimate relationships within the college/university student population. A total of 159 self-identified gay and lesbian college/university students in the United States and Canada completed an online survey about their dating and relationship experiences. The survey was developed by the researcher based on a review of the literature and was designed to collect broad-based quantitative and qualitative data on the topic of study. Findings were compared to the literature on dating and relationships in the larger gay and lesbian population to identify points of consistency and inconsistency. Areas of strength and resiliency as well as challenges faced by gay and lesbian college/university students in this area of their lives are highlighted. Implications of the results and recommendations for helping professionals working with gay and lesbian college/ university students are discussed. Additionally, limitations of the current study are addressed and proposed directions for future research are identified.

Committee: Heather Wilder Psy.D. (Committee Chair); Julie Williams Psy.D. (Committee Member); Daniela Burnworth Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Gender; Multicultural Education; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Psychotherapy; School Counseling; Social Research; Social Work; Sociology; Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, Sociology

Sociological literature has not paid the same attention to the educational attainment of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons, despite their status as a socially marginalized group. Through the application of sociological methods and theories, my dissertation argues that sexual identity's effect on educational attainment is conditional. That is, determining whether sexual minorities are advantaged or disadvantaged educationally depends not only on their sexuality, but also on the social context in which they are nested. This work builds upon educational scholars' investigations of LGB student experiences to apply the same sociological inquiry used to determine other minority groups' educational attainment to sexual minorities. The second chapter of this work investigates the relationship between sexuality and educational attainment. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health), I run logistic regressions on respondents' likelihood of having a bachelor's degree. I use these results to predict probabilities of completing college for heterosexual men, heterosexual women, sexual minority men, and sexual minority women. Results show that education differentials as a function of sexuality are gender-dependent. LGB men are more likely to have a college degree than heterosexual men, and their educational attainment patterns mirror those of heterosexual women. LGB women, however, are the group least likely to have a bachelor's degree, indicating that their educational attainment patterns parallel heterosexual men's. Most studies of the interaction between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons and the American college campus environment have been confined to the micro-level. However, little is known about factors at the institutional level that could affect the campus climate. In the third chapter, I use social closure theory to determine the link between institutional factors and a school's climate toward sexual minorities. Re (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Liana Sayer (Advisor); Claudia Buchmann (Committee Member); Cynthia Colen (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Educational Policy and Leadership

Developmental theorists have focused increased attention on non-heterosexual identity. This scholarship, however, often groups together gay, lesbian, and bisexual identity. It also typically considers sexual orientation as distinct from other dimensions of identity; and identity development theories are studied independent of interpersonal and cognitive development. The purpose of this research was to explore lesbian college students' perceptions of their sexual orientation identity and how other dimensions of identity, such as race, culture, social class, gender, and religion, interact with their sexual orientation. Utilizing narrative inquiry methodology, data was collected through in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of ten traditional-aged lesbian college students at a large, public research university in the Midwest. The content of the narratives was analyzed using the constant comparative method; elements of the narratives' form were considered as well. The results were considered in relation to constructivist-developmental theory, scholarship on multiple dimensions of identity, and queer theory. The results suggested that the construction of lesbian identity, considered in relationship with other dimensions of identity, depends on a relationship between contextual influences, meaning-making structures, and the content of identity. Meaning-making structures that emerged from the narratives ranged from: (1) unexamined satisfaction with external meaning making; and (2) gradual dissatisfaction with insufficient external definitions; to (3) tentative internal meaning making with the possibility of retreat; and (4) appreciation for an internally defined identity. Meaning-making complexity contributed to the role of contextual influences in the construction of lesbian identity. For instance, the capacity for self-authorship facilitated the ability to maintain a peaceful co-existence between sexual orientation identity and other identity dimensions. The results (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Susan Jones (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Higher