Ethical and Methodological Complexities in Research Involving Sexual Minorities

Abstract

While there is growing attention to sexual minorities in adult education (AE) and human resource development (HRD) literature, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people have received very little attention in AE or in HRD research. This article captures methodological issues and concerns from LBGTQ‐related research from psychological, sociological, social work, and related bodies of knowledge, as well as lessons learned from the author's empirical research, to inform and prepare AE and HRD researchers regarding the greater complexities in conceptualizing research on LGBTQ populations, potential ethical dilemmas, and specific safeguards that may be appropriate for LGBTQ research participants.

Standing in the intersection : using Photovoice to understand the lived experience of black gay college students attending predominantly white postsecondary institutions.

“…Without question, the narratives of Black bisexual and transgender persons are both complex and important. Transgender and bisexual persons of all races and ethnicities experience prejudice and discrimination from heterosexuals as well as other members of the different sexual minority groups (Bettinger, 2010;Renn, 2007). Certainly additional research is needed; however, an exploration of Black bisexual and transgender lives is beyond the scope of this study.…”

“…Despite professional training and our best efforts at selfreflection, still we may not be fully aware of the influence culture, identity and context have on what and how we choose to conduct research. Unarguably, issues of race and sexual orientation are deeply embedded in our country's culture, the socialization process, responsible for teaching us societal expectations is largely racist, heteronormative and sexist (Bettinger, 2010). Reflecting on my identity as a Black, heterosexual female-cultural and personal experiences inspired my decision to conduct research on sexual minorities.…”

“…Qualitative methods are useful in uncovering subtle, nuanced social processes and have been particularly beneficial in explorations of sexual orientation (Bettinger, 2010;Fine, 2011;Gamson, 2003). Qualitative methods afford the researcher a myriad of ways to capture the voices/stories directly from research participants.…”

“…The critical reflection phase of PV is well positioned to address the challenges outlined in our earlier discussions of Crenshaw's perspective on intersectionality, role theory, and Chickering's student identity development process. However, the sensitive and complex nature of gay and lesbian sexual identity development, societal attitudes and limited existing research on the use of PV within the college environment (specifically with BLG students) encourages a conservative implementation of the PV method (Bettinger, 2010;Harley, Hunn, Elliott & Canfield, 2014). Therefore, the implementation of the critical reflection phase of PV is the central focus of this study.…”

“…Other study preparations included consultations with several community insiders, including an LGBTQ researcher and two LGBTQ campus staff contacts (Bettinger, 2010). Among other suggestions and cautions, the consultants advised LGBTQ students of color were less likely to visit or hang out in typical LGBTQ campus spaces.…”