The rise and fall of gay: A cultural-historical approach to gay identity development

Abstract

Research on identity development has paid relatively little attention to the development of marginalised identities such as those of gays and lesbians, whose isolation from the canonical narrative of sexuality may limit the available resources required for establishing a coherent identity. We examined these contested identities in relation to cultural-historical factors that may have played a role in shaping these identities over the past 50 years, and looked at how such factors have impacted the voicing and silencing of gay experiences. Participants (N=251) reported (1) a memory of a cultural event relevant to their sexuality, and (2) a self-defining memory about their sexuality. Those in older cohorts reported cultural memories centred on politics and other external events (e.g., Stonewall riots), and younger cohorts reported more personal memories (e.g., coming out), suggesting that homosexual identities have become less culturally defined, and instead more personally defined. Further, participants of older cohorts reported self-defining events that were predominantly from one private domain (e.g., sex). In contrast, younger participants reported a variety of self-defining events. These results suggest that cultural-historical factors play an important role in defining the developmental pathway of individuals, perhaps especially those who have marginalised identities.

Narrative, psychology and the politics of sexual identity in the United States: from ‘sickness’ to ‘species’ to ‘subject’

“…Hammack, 2008;Hammack, Thompson, & Pilecki, 2009). In the case of same-sex desire, this work suggests that how individuals make social and psychological sense of their attractions depends upon the scripts or master narratives that are available to them in a particular social ecology of development (Cohler & Hammack, 2007;Hammack, 2005b;Hammack & Cohler, 2009;Westrate & McLean, 2010). Consistent with Foucault (1978), we view these master narratives as linked to particular political interests and thus in need of critical interrogation.…”

Examining Cohort Differences and Resilience among the Aging LGBT Community: Implications for Education and Practice among an Expansively Diverse Population

“…As recent as 1998, sodomy laws criminalized same-sex acts and were used to discriminate against and marginalize members of the LGBT community before such laws were struck down in most states (Elze, 2006). Though the uprising at Stonewall ushered in an era of increased visibility and activism for members of the LGBT community over the past 40 years, the event itself, along with precipitating psychosocial factors, has had a profound effect upon the identities and lives of older LGBT adults (Vaccaro, 2009;Weststrate & McLean, 2010). This has not only affected the physical and mental health of many generations of LGBT individuals but also impacts the manner in which they seek care.…”

“…It remains important to examine and understand LGBT older adults in such contexts as the historical and social realms (Fredriksen-Golden et al, 2010;Clunis et al, 2005) and take into account the culture, politics, and social mores of the era in which they came of age to best understand their uniquely lived experiences and needs. Prior to the significant social and legislative changes that followed the Stonewall uprising, homosexuality had been pathologized in the American Psychiatric Association's Third Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) as a mental disorder, compounded by anti-gay legislation and social propaganda resulting in LGBT individuals risking job loss, family separation, social standing, and potentially even personal safety (Atkins, 2003;Williams & Freeman, 2007;Weststrate & McLean, 2010).…”

Personal, Master, and Alternative Narratives: An Integrative Framework for Understanding Identity Development in Context

“…It is important to note that "master narrative" is a concept that has been used in the literature for some time, in the context of many different applications and empirical manifestations [e.g., Bamberg, 2004;Hammack, 2008;Hammack & Cohler, 2009;Harré & Moghaddam, 2003;Weststrate & McLean, 2010]. Our proposed framework builds upon these conceptual foundations, but seeks to move the field forward by bringing greater specificity to the concept.…”