ERIC Number: EJ1188081
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1936-1653
EISSN: N/A
Contextual Constraints and Choices: Strategic Identity Management among LGBTQ Youth
Schmitz, Rachel M.; Tyler, Kimberly A.
Journal of LGBT Youth, v15 n3 p212-226 2018
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) young people's identity management impacts their well-being, yet little is known about how distinctive social environments shape their identity management strategies. We qualitatively examined how 46 LGBTQ young adults ages 19-26, who are either homeless or attending college, manage their identities across distinctive social contexts. Young adults engaged in "identity concealment," which extended across social context as both groups grappled with masking their identities. Furthermore, both groups of young people adapted to socioenvironmental challenges in "navigating identity within social relationships." Finally, young adults emphasized the contextual importance of maintaining "agency within identity." Understanding how LGBTQ young people immersed in various social contexts traverse identity-related challenges and establish effective coping strategies is essential in developing diverse social programs for this population.
Descriptors: Homosexuality, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Identity, Well Being, Social Environment, Environmental Influences, Young Adults, Homeless People, College Students, Identification (Psychology), Barriers, Interpersonal Relationship, Educational Environment, Self Disclosure (Individuals), Middle Schools, High Schools
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A