Date of Graduation
5-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders
Advisor/Mentor
Michael S. Hevel
Committee Member
Leslie Jo Shelton
Second Committee Member
Ketevan Mamiseishvili
Keywords
College Students, Higher Education, Nonbinary, Queer
Abstract
As the number of young people identifying as nonbinary continues to increase (Davis, 2018), our need, as educators, to understand their experiences on college campuses also increases. Using narrative inquiry and photovoice, framed by critical queer theory and genderism, this examined both institutionalized and socially constructed expectations and influences that affect the development of nonbinary gender expression and identity for the college students by addressing the research question: What are the experiences of nonbinary college students in the Southern United States in exploring their gender expression at research universities? The five major themes that emerged from this study were as follows: symbiotic relationship between identity and expression, queer community and kinship, written and unwritten dress codes, campus as contradictory, and the interconnectedness of gender expression with other salient identities. This study offers avenues for higher education and student affairs educators to better support and affirm the experiences of nonbinary college students.
Citation
Thompson, C. J. (2022). How Nonbinary College Students at Southern Universities Explore Identity Through Gender Expression. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/4424
Included in
Gender Equity in Education Commons, Higher Education Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons