The Lived Experiences of Homosexuals: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study of Nuances and Complexities

Description

Page: 47-51

Swyam Mehrotra¹ and Fariha Ishrat Ullah² (Department of Psychology, University of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh¹ and Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi²)

Background and Aim: Claims of biological models explaining homosexual behavior have been misleading and are used to perpetuate self-serving agendas (political/ ideological) on the contrary the psychosocial claims are orthodox likewise (gender stereotyping, prejudice) (Weinrich, 1995). This mixed-method explanatory sequential endeavour seeks to chart a course for future research by delving into the perceived parenting styles, foundational sex education, and the inherent need for belonging among homosexual individuals, and examining their subsequent influence on the overall quality of life. The extant body of research is notably deficient in comprehensively addressing variables that affect the representation of diverse sexual orientations (Makwana et al., 2023; T, 2019; Mishra & Singh, 2022). Method: Perceived parenting scale (Manikandan, 2020), Need to belong (Leary & Cottrel 2013), and perceived inclusivity scale for initial sex education (Keiser et al., 2019) were administered to comprehend various aspects of 117 homosexual adolescents (N:117) drawn through purposive sampling. Later qualitative aspects of this mixed method exploratory study employed a structured questionnaire along with WHOQOL: Measuring Quality of Life subsequently on 24 homosexuals (N:24), further thematic analysis was utilized to extract and elucidate the underlying themes. Results: Authoritative parenting is prevalent akin to heterosexual adolescents, a smaller number of adolescents received initial sex education while a lower need to belong is witnessed among the sample population. Regression analysis showcases that authoritative parenting predicts lower inclusivity in initial sex education amongst adolescents. Qualitative results showcase themes like low social interaction, cultural issues, initial sex education deficiency, and early trauma as hindrances to a better quality of life and lower needs to belong amongst adolescents. Conclusion: A prevalent trend of perceived parenting was dominant during the identity exploration phases and that in turn predicts the stringent and improper sex education amongst self-identifying homosexuals. Further, the qualitative aspects of the study showcase and fill the gap of lower need to belong and the lower quality of life amongst homosexual adolescents.