Reconceptualizing Notions of Resilience Through the Experiences of Gay Latino Male Collegians

[摘要] The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, the author explored the processes of resilience that gay Latino male collegians underwent throughout their educational trajectories. He examined the way that their most salient social identities and surrounding contexts intersected and influenced their resilience. In discussing students’ social identities, the author situated them within larger systems of oppression (e.g. heterosexism, patriarchy, white supremacy, and racism). Second, this investigation challenged and expanded the theoretical underpinnings of a resilience framework. As theorized, resilience remained a race-neutral, gender-neutral, queer-neutral, and immigration neutral phenomenon, among other things. In this investigation, the author brought these to the forefront of a resilience framework.The questions that guided this study included: 1) in what ways do gay Latino male collegians undergo a process of resilience?, 2) how do gay Latino males’ social identities influence their resilience?, and 3) what are the vulnerabilities and protective factors pertinent to the lives of gay Latino men? These data were primarily derived from 80 in-depth interviews the author conducted with 50 gay Latino men from various colleges and universities in the United States. In addition, data were also drawn from two other sources, which included prompted group discussions among study participants via a private and closed social media page, and the collection of photographs taken by students on their respective campuses.Findings revealed four major vulnerabilities including, (1) notions of hierarchy among gay groups, (2) femmephobia in the queer community, (3) being a gay Latino in the era of Trump, and (4) racialized and homophobic incidents. Findings also revealed four major protective factors including, (1) the role of technology, (2) art, music, and writing, (3) education as an escape, and (4) influential people. In addition, the author also demonstrated the way that six social identities that were important to the participants (e.g. race/ethnicity, religion, social economic status, undocumented status, gender, and sexuality) connected to a process of resilience. Ultimately, he offered a reconceptualization of resilience, theoretical contributions, and other implications for research and practice based on this investigation.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh