A Qualitative Exploration of Resilience in Long-Term Lesbian Couples

Abstract

Counselors continually strive to expand knowledge about relational dynamics. This article focuses on a qualitative exploration of resilience with 10 lesbian couples in relationship for 10 to 24 years. The researcher used an ethnographic and phenomenological methodology from a feminist point of view to explore resilience in two joint interviews. Couples described two thematic processes of resilience that helped thwart the effects of cultural marginalization. Relational resiliency, which served to safeguard and protect couples against stressors, consisted of the subthemes of mutuality, relational balance, and interdependence. Couple resilience, processes that facilitated couples overcoming and rebounding from adversity, included subthemes of couple unification, determination, perspective, and external buffers. These areas are discussed along with recommendations and implications for research and counseling.

Renegotiating Sexuality and Intimacy in the Context of Cancer: The Experiences of Carers

“…Future research should examine the different ways in which sexuality is experienced and negotiated in the context of cancer across a range of cultural groups, where sexuality may have a very different meaning from that described in this study, given the socio-cultural construction of sex (Varga, 1997). It is also important for research to include a focus on sexuality in gay male and lesbian relationships in the context of cancer, as there is evidence that nonheterosexual relationships differ from heterosexual relationships in a number of spheres that are relevant to research on cancer and sexuality, including communication, connectedness, and negotiation of conflict (Connolly, 2005;Green, Bettinger, & Zacks, 1996;Kurdek, 2003). In the present study, concerted attempts were made to recruit gay and lesbian participants, with only two lesbians volunteering to be interviewed, limiting the ability to generalize beyond these two accounts.…”

Couple Resilience

“…Lesbian and gay couples describe a high level of relationship quality, satisfaction and stability (Bryant & Demian, 1994 ;Connolly, 2005 ;Gottman et al, 2003 ;Green & Mitchell, 2008 ;Hunter, 2012 ;Kurdek, 2005 ). They tend to resolve confl ict constructively, have high rates of communication, and place great value on intimacy and closeness.…”

“…In gay and lesbian partnerships gender is a relational task that is negotiated depending on numerous variables, including personality and interests, sub-cultural community patterns and values, and may be re-negotiated depending on the shifting needs of the individuals and family through the course of the lifecycle (Connolly, 2005 ;Green & Mitchell, 2008 ;Jonathan, 2009 ). Since neither partner enters the relationship with an expectation that their social roles will be based along gender lines, both men and women are "allowed" to explore both traditionally masculine and feminine roles.…”

“…There is an interactional pattern of closeness, a strong desire to create an equality of power, and openness of communication (Green, 2011 ); this is especially true in lesbian relationships (Connolly, 2005 ). Lesbian and gay couples are active participants in co-creating their relationship.…”

“…This may lead to great attunement during confl ict since they approach disagreements from a position of peer equality and humor (Gottman et al, 2003 ) which may assist the couple in re-bounding from adversity with great ease (Connolly, 2005(Connolly, , 2006. They may be similar to one another in important ways, and this similarity may increase closeness, cohesion, egalitarianism, and emotional expressiveness, especially for women.…”