Stigma, intimacy, and well-being: A personality and social structures approach
Item
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Title
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Stigma, intimacy, and well-being: A personality and social structures approach
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:f0f9a5c40681:10097
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identifier
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10174
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Creator
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Frost, David M.,
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Contributor
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Suzanne C. Ouellette
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Date
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2009
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social psychology | Personality psychology | Gender studies | Intimacy | Lesbian | Gay | Bisexual | Minority Stress | Same-Sex Relationships | Sexual Minority | Stigma
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Abstract
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There is widespread belief that intimacy and romantic interpersonal relationships are not as meaningful for individuals in or pursuing same-sex relationships as they are for heterosexual individuals. These unfounded stereotypes and assumptions create social stressors in the form of macrosocial and interpersonal stigmatization in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals' lives. Thus far, social scientists have established general negative associations between experiences of stigmatization and relationship quality among LGB individuals. However, little is known about the processes through which stigma becomes meaningful in the lives of LGB individuals and its resulting impact on their experiences of intimacy and psychological well-being. This dissertation addressed two primary aims: (a) to systematically investigate similarities and differences in LGB and heterosexual individuals' meanings and experiences of intimacy; and (b) to understand the mechanisms that link stigma-related processes to LGB individuals' lived experiences of intimacy and the resulting implications for their relational and psychological well-being. Two mixed-method studies using purposive national online samples addressed these aims. The results of both studies demonstrated that intimacy was experienced as equally meaningful among LGB and heterosexual individuals; however, LGB individuals experienced significantly more adversity in the form of stigma-related processes associated with intimacy compared to heterosexuals. Both studies showed that stigma-related processes were negatively associated with LGBs' experiences of intimacy, relationship quality, and psychological well-being. These associations were partially mediated by the meaningfulness LGBs attributed to their pursuits and experiences of intimacy. Study 2 further demonstrated that individuals in same-sex couples make meaning of their experiences of stigma and intimacy via multiple narrative strategies. Some of these strategies reinforced the negative impact of stigmatization on intimacy, while others allowed individuals to cope with, resist, and overcome stigma-related processes. These findings bolster existing research on stigma and intimacy among LGB individuals. They also challenge researchers to broaden their approaches to address the multiple pathways and mechanisms through which stigma impacts the lives of marginalized individuals. Furthermore, this dissertation demonstrates the utility of a personality and social structures approach to the study of stigma, thereby highlighting important implications for intervention and policy reform.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
