Psychology

Understanding Minority Stress and Coping Processes in Latinxs with Minoritized Sexual Identities

Date of Award

2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Esteban V. Cardemil

Second Advisor

Kathleen Palm Reed

Keywords

Clinical psychology, Psychology, LGBTQ studies, Hispanic American studies

Abstract

In the present study, I explored the minority stress processes that eighteen Latinxs with minoritized sexual identities living in the U.S. experience, as well as ways in which they cope with minority stress given the pervasive nature of the intersecting systems of oppression that shape them. Using an inductive-deductive approach to thematic analysis grounded in a framework that integrated intersectionality and minority stress theory, I identified three themes related to minority stress processes in the experiences that participants recounted in their interviews: a) Rejection from the Latinx and LGBT communities; b) Rejection, ambivalence, and expectations from families; and c) Discrimination in the workplace. Additionally, I identified three themes related to coping processes in their accounts: a) Strategic identity management; b) Seeking and creating social support from their own communities; and c) Contesting prejudice and oppression. Together, these findings illustrate some of the ways in which LMSIs actively cope with the minority stress processes they experience in their quotidian lives, highlighting their agency and resilience in the face of marginalization.

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