In this dissertation, I trace the biographical pathways of activists mobilizing to make Christian colleges and universities more inclusive of LGBTQ students. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 65 LGBTQ student activists at four Christian universities which were selected on the basis of a quantitative analysis of all Christian universities in the U.S. I first identify multiple pathways that students follow into LGBTQ groups. I show that while students with highly politicized identities seem to have been raised as activists, students with salient religious and sexual identities often join these groups after undergoing intensive re-socialization. Second, I show that participants commit to LGBTQ groups when they perceive a fit between their identities and the types of LGBTQ groups available to them, including direct action, educational, and solidarity groups. Finally, I show that participants pursue a range of post-graduation pathways that resonate with their identities, from political campaigns to humanistic careers to intentional relationships. The findings extend existing theories of activist group participation by challenging assumptions about the characteristics of activists, the purpose of activist groups, and ultimately the nature of activism itself.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-12172015-113928 |
| Date | 18 December 2015 |
| Creators | Coley, Jonathan Scott |
| Contributors | C. Melissa Snarr, David J. Hess, Daniel B. Cornfield, Larry W. Isaac |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-12172015-113928/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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