Coming out in College: The Struggle for a Queer Identity

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Description

Coming out is the process of acknowledging same-sex attractions to oneself and to others. It is both a personal and a public process. For many gay and bisexual students, college marks a pivotal point where for the first time they feel free to explore their same-sex attractions. This book is about the struggles students face in coming out. The focus is twofold: the experiences individuals face in coming to terms with their sexual identity and the process of developing a group identity. The development of a group identity involves a degree of political investment. For some students, becoming political means adopting a queer persona. As one student noted, Queer is kind of an `in your face' attitude toward heterosexism and homophobia. A primary focus of this book revolves around the notion of queer identity and how students engage as cultural workers seeking both campus and societal change.

Reviews

.,."clear, powerful, and poignant depictions of the struggles young college men face when coming to terms with their sexual identity. This study demonstrates how a theoretical approach designed to stimulate social change (i.e., critical postmodernism) can be used to enlighten and inspire its readers. It is encouraging to see a researcher use qualitative methodology to bring to light the narratives of people whose stories are often stifled."-The Journal of Sex Research
...clear, powerful, and poignant depictions of the struggles young college men face when coming to terms with their sexual identity. This study demonstrates how a theoretical approach designed to stimulate social change (i.e., critical postmodernism) can be used to enlighten and inspire its readers. It is encouraging to see a researcher use qualitative methodology to bring to light the narratives of people whose stories are often stifled.-The Journal of Sex Research
Coming Out in College tells thoughly humane story with significant implications for the academic advisor. ... For advisors who see different individuals all day long, the concepts and wisdom of this book provide a new, theoretical base from which to operate.-NACADA Journal
"Coming Out in College tells thoughly humane story with significant implications for the academic advisor. ... For advisors who see different individuals all day long, the concepts and wisdom of this book provide a new, theoretical base from which to operate."-NACADA Journal
..."clear, powerful, and poignant depictions of the struggles young college men face when coming to terms with their sexual identity. This study demonstrates how a theoretical approach designed to stimulate social change (i.e., critical postmodernism) can be used to enlighten and inspire its readers. It is encouraging to see a researcher use qualitative methodology to bring to light the narratives of people whose stories are often stifled."-The Journal of Sex Research

Author Bio

ROBERT A. RHOADS is a Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Higher Education, Pennsylvania State University. Previously, he was a student affairs administrator at the State University of New York College at Potsdam. He is the author, with William G. Tierney, of Cultural Leadership in Higher Education and Enhancing Promotion, Tenure, and Beyond: Faculty Socialization as a Cultural Process.