A social constructionist approach to resilience for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and/or questioning academics and students in South African universities

Abstract

This article provides a theoretical contemplation on how reciprocation of an assimilationist, liberationist and/or transgressive approach by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and/or questioning (LGBTIQ+) individuals on university campuses may encourage transformation initiatives in South African universities. The author ascribe to the contributions of previous research studies on a social constructionist approach to resilience to debate how individuals potentially navigate the disparity between sexual structure and agency within their ideological and physical construction and enactment of their academic and student persona. A theoretical basis is provided for the influence of social resilience to emphasise the localised, intersectional and plural experiences of LGBTIQ+ individuals as opposed to a monolithic and universal ‘either/or’ account of their being solely docile victims or free agents in a heteronormative context.

A reflective analysis of articles published in the journal of Transformation in Higher Education (2016–2020): Beyond transformation?

“…The #mustfall protests unmasked brutal alienation through race, class and gender at South African universities (Bazana & Mogotsi 2017;Becker 2017;Eybers 2019;Lamola 2018;Nyoni 2019;Rothmann 2018).…”

“…Gender and sexuality are explored by Rothmann (2018), Tshilongo and Rothman (2019), Ramohai (2019) and Norris and Welch (2020). The effects of binary logic and heteronormativity on alienation in relation to sexuality and gender in higher education are evident in these publications.…”

“I Get Fire Inside Me That Tells Me I’m Going to Defy.”: The Discursive Construction of Trans Masculinity in Cape Town, South Africa

“…Genderism functions as a disciplinary tool of the discourse of cisnormativity that marks the landscape of gender knowledge in South African public life and social institutions (Rothmann 2018). The dominance and sedimentation of gender norms in public spaces do not preclude resistance to these norms, as the condition of power is that it produces not docile bodies but resistant bodies (Foucault 1980).…”

A sociological exploration of the need for safe spaces for lesbian and gay students on a South African university campus

“…It is essential to study the experiences of gay and lesbian students as distinct and not as homogeneous (Judge 2017), and also to implore a critical investigation of how identities and experiences result along intersectional lines of ethnic, racial and gender identities in different South African institutions (Bhana 2012;Francis 2017b;Msibi 2013Msibi , 2015Oswin 2007), regardless of the constitution. Rothmann (2018) and Van den Berg (2016) do, however, contend that such 'strategic essentialism' (see the work of Spivak 1987) does not necessarily solely homogenise the experiences of gay and lesbian students in a communal setting. By 'temporarily assimilating' into a supposed homogeneous setting, agentic students identify 'their shared experiences [with other students], yet diverse inter-subjective life-worlds' (Rothmann 2018:6).…”