Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Sociology
Date of Award
5-2024
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Martha Copp
Committee Members
Kelly Foster, Leslie McCallister
Abstract
People pursuing LGBTQ+ rights in the United States have faced triumphs and setbacks over time but now face equality-restricting legislation in several regions. Previous researchers have studied LGBTQ+ college students and LGBTQ+ identity as a master status, but less on how queer identity competes for salience with other identities. This study uses qualitative and quantitative secondary data on student responses to a university-wide climate survey (n=1699) conducted in the Fall semester of 2022. I analyze LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ student experiences and satisfaction with their school. The quantitative results of this research find that LGBTQ+ students have a markedly different campus experience, while the qualitative results find that student identity takes precedence over gender and sexual identity when assessing East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Data analysis includes personal narratives from LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ students on their college experiences with belongingness, academics, and campus political landscape.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Densberger, Kayla, "Queer Student or Student Who is Also Queer? A Mixed Methods Study of Competing Master Statuses in Higher Education" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4405. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4405
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons