A mixed methods approach to plurisexual identity development at the intersection of race/ethnicity and geographical location
Billington, Alyssa G
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121371
Description
Title
A mixed methods approach to plurisexual identity development at the intersection of race/ethnicity and geographical location
Author(s)
Billington, Alyssa G
Issue Date
2023-07-14
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Oswald, Ramona F
Ogolsky, Brian G
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Oswald, Ramona F
Committee Member(s)
Smith, Shardé
Galupo, Paz
Department of Study
Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies
Discipline
Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
plurisexuality
bi+
LGBTQ+
sexual identity development
intersectionality
Abstract
The overwhelming focus on monosexual experience in sexuality research suggests that plurisexuality is less common. However, the opposite is true. Bisexuals comprise about half of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the United States. The small body of literature on plurisexual experiences suggests that plurisexuals may have unique concerns regarding invisibility, stigma, lack of social support, and disparities in mental and physical health. Furthermore, very little research has been conducted on sexual identification within the broader plurisexual umbrella. The overarching goal of this study was to investigate plurisexual identity development at the intersection of race/ethnicity and geographical location. A two-pronged approach was utilized in this research in which two independent, yet related studies informed by intersectionality were conducted.
The first study investigated variation in plurisexual experiences within several factors related to sexual identity by race/ethnicity and geographical location. Additionally, this study examined how these contextual factors surrounding sexual identity related to sexual identity importance and the ways race/ethnicity and geographical location acted as moderators of these relationships. The second study expanded upon a portion of these findings by qualitatively exploring the sexual identity development of Mexican American plurisexuals from the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Findings from this study indicated that participants engaged in multiple interconnected, ongoing processes including Becoming Aware/Maintaining Awareness, Labeling Self, Seeking Affirmation, Disclosing, and Balancing Belonging and Authenticity. The unfolding of these processes was heavily dictated by cultural and geographical contexts. All participants recounted the strong influence of traditional Mexican culture in their households that was most notably conveyed through the narrative of the “good Mexican daughter” in which participants reported expectations of heterosexuality, enacting traditional gender roles, taking care of the family, upholding an image of purity, and succeeding in higher education. Although participants described the rigid gender and sexuality norms within traditional Mexican culture as oppressive, they also identified opportunities for flexibility of their own family members and conveyed optimism regarding their families’ eventual acceptance of their plurisexual identity. All participants indicated that living in the Chicago Metropolitan Area hindered their sexual identity development to some degree while their current geographical context of a smaller, non-metropolitan city better supported the exploration of their sexual identities.
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