Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses
Date of Award
5-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
First Advisor
Tim Herrmann
Second Advisor
Todd Ream
Third Advisor
Skip Trudeau
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to build an understanding of how lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students grow in their self-authorship development at faith-based, small, private, liberal arts institutions. Self-authorship is one’s ability to define one’s own internally held beliefs, values, relationships, and identities. Five sexual minority students participated in qualitative, semi-structured interviews inquiring about their experiences at an eastern U.S. faith-based institution with an established educational group focusing on issues of sexuality and gender. Findings included the importance of faith-related development and experience, clarity in communication, support systems, perspective weighing, and leadership experiences. Implications for future practice include (1) create a sexual minority student group; (2) create opportunities for open dialogue regarding institutional practices and policies on sexuality; (3) and provide classes, groups, or seminars exploring biblical contexts and perspectives of sexuality.
Recommended Citation
Bretz, Sara, ""I Don't Fit into the Identity You Expect Me To Have": Development of Self-Authorship in LGB Students at a Faith-Based Institution" (2018). Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses. 126.
https://pillars.taylor.edu/mahe/126