Exploring minority stress processes and social supports in the workplace: how individuals in same-sex relationships manage the work/family border

Studies of minority stress processes (Meyer, 2003) in the workplace have focused on individual level outcomes, such as individual mental health (Velez, Moradi, & Brewster, 2013), or outcomes within the work context, such as job satisfaction or productivity (Button, 2001; Ragins Singh, & Cornwall, 2007). Very little attention has been given to the ways in which experiences with minority stressors in the work domain affect the same-sex partners of sexual minority employees and their relationships. This dissertation project used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach involving quantitative secondary data analysis and qualitative case study analysis to examine the couple-level effects of minority stress processes and supports in the work domain. Results show that sexual minority employees continue to experience minority stress processes in the work place, and specifically social stigma and other subtle microaggressions appear to be the predominant prejudice event reported. Further, these experiences with prejudice events and other forms of minority stress processes are associated with couple-level outcomes, such as decreased relationship satisfaction. However, participants in the case study analysis also reported ways in which their relationships were positively affected by these experiences, by being able to support one another for example. Findings from this project enhance our understanding of minority stress processes theoretically, but can also be applied to workplaces broadly to inform policy and practices within organizations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2016

Author dc:creator

• Holman, Elizabeth G

Contributors dc:contributor

• Oswald, Ramona Faith
• Hardesty, Jennifer
• Smith, Shardé
• Zvonkovic, Anisa

• minority stress theory
• same-sex couples
• work context
• microaggressions
• social supports

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2016 Elizabeth Holman

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92915

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/92915