School's Out : a comparative study of workplace sexuality through the experiences of gay and lesbian teachers in California and Texas

This dissertation investigates the workplace experiences of gay and lesbian teachers. In-depth interviews and field observations were conducted with 51 teachers in Texas and in California, two states with different legal approaches to gay rights and worker rights. This comparative study highlights the importance of social, political, and cultural context in individual decision-making about sexual disclosure and performance, explores the consequences of "normalization" of LGBT experiences in the classroom, and addresses the role of identity politics in social change. By taking an intersectional approach to gay/lesbian identity construction, this dissertation considers how race, class, gender, and sexuality inequalities are expressed and reinforced in the experiences of gay and lesbian teachers.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Grantor

University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Connell, Catherine Elizabeth

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Williams, Christine L., 1959-

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Gonzalez-Lopez, Gloria
• Young, Michael
• Carrington, Ben
• Cloud, Dana

• Teaching
• Gay/lesbian
• Sexualities
• Occupations
• Intersectionality
• Identity construction

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-1040

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-1040