Resolving ethical challenges when researching with minority and vulnerable populations : LGBTIQ victims of violence, harassment and bullying

This article provides an analysis of the issues and ethical challenges faced in a study with LGBTIQ student participants concerning their experiences of violence, harassment and bullying in tertiary settings. The authors detail the ethical challenges behind the development of the project, and around conducting research with a minority and vulnerable population. The article illustrates how the utilization of feminist and queer theory has impacted the process of conducting ethical research, including approaches to recruitment and participant autonomy. The dilemmas of confidentiality within a self-labelled and easily identifiable population are resolved. Further, unexpected challenges and risks to participant safety created through adherence to institutional ethical research frameworks are rectified. Importantly, the authors seek to avoid revictimization of participants and to instead empower students in their responses to violence, harassment and bullying that they may have experienced. The authors point to utilization of theoretical foundations and continual reflexive improvement as elements of best practice for those seeking to research minority populations, and in projects marked by the participation of those deemed vulnerable and high-risk. © 2016, © The Author(s) 2016

Traversing TechSex:Benefits and risks in digitally mediated sex and relationships

Background: Digital technologies play a significant role in people’s sexual and intimate lives via smart phones, cameras, dating apps and social media. Although there is a large body of research on the potential risks posed by these technologies, research on benefits and pleasures is limited. Methods: This study explored digital sexual practices, including perceptions of risks and benefits among a sample of Australian adults (n = 445). Data were collected in 2020 via an online survey. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were undertaken to identify significant relationships between demographic variables and the use of technologies in relation to perceived risks and benefits. The mean age of participants was 42 years, over half were women (58.5%) and identified as heterosexual (61.1%). Results: Findings reveal that use of digital media was common in participants’ sex lives and relationships; 60.3% of participants had viewed pornography online, 34.9% had used dating apps, and 33.9% had sent sexual or naked self-images to another person. Over one in three reported positive outcomes from this: 38.2% felt emotionally connected to their partners due to online communication; 38.0% agreed that digital technologies facilitated closer connections; however, the majority of participants were aware of potential risks associated with online sexual engagement, particularly non-consensual exposure of their sexual or naked images, with women expressing greater concern. Conclusions: Policy, legal and educational responses should be based on holistic understanding of digital sexual engagement, acknowledging the ways in which technologies can support sexual relationships while also building people’s knowledge and capacity to manage risks

\u27Don\u27t fix what ain\u27t broke\u27: evaluating the effectiveness of a Men\u27s Shed in inner-regional Australia

Men\u27s Sheds and similar community programmes are known to encourage help-seeking behaviour and thus improve the health and well-being outcomes for the men who attend. This paper investigates this issue through a community needs assessment of a Men\u27s Shed programme in inner-regional Australia. The immediate purpose of this research was to help direct future funding initiatives, and provide recommendations for potential changes and improvements to the programme. A community-level needs assessment is a systematic process used to determine and address gaps or needs between current and desired conditions within a particular community. We sought to explore how particular formats and structures of Men\u27s Sheds programmes contribute to improve social and medical well-being, and whether there are key programme characteristics that could be emulated. In total, 22 surveys and 20 interviews were conducted with the men who participated in the programme. The report finds 95% of men are satisfied with the current running of the programme. While there were areas that have been identified for improvement, most men reported that they are content with the current format and would not like to see major changes to its implementation. The results of this research confirm the known benefits of these types of programmes. This paper provides other community programmes with some insight into the key success factors for running a Men\u27s Shed

Rethinking microaggressions and anti-social behaviour against LGBTIQ+ Youth

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of experiences of anti-social behaviour in LGBTIQ+ youth in university settings. Design/methodology/approach - The discussion reflects on qualitative interviews with LGBTIQ+ young people studying at university (n = 16) exploring their experiences of anti-social behaviour including harassment, bullying and victimisation in tertiary settings. Findings - The findings demonstrate that attention should be paid to the complex nature of anti-social behaviour. In particular, LGBTIQ+ youth documented experiences of microaggressions perpetrated by other members of the LGBTIQ+ community. Using the taxonomy of anti-social behaviour against LGBTIQ+ people developed by Nadal et al. (2010, 2011), the authors build on literature that understands microaggressions against LGBTIQ+ people as a result of heterosexism, to address previously unexplored microaggressions perpetrated by other LGBTIQ+ people. Research limitations/implications - Future research could seek a larger sample of participants from a range of universities, as campus climate may influence the experiences and microaggressions perpetrated. Practical implications - Individuals within the LGBTIQ+ community also perpetrate microaggressions against LGBTIQ+ people, including individuals with the same sexual orientation and gender identity as the victim. Those seeking to respond to microaggressions need to attune their attention to this source of anti-social behaviour. Originality/value - Previous research has focused on microaggressions and hate crimes perpetrated by non-LGBTIQ+ individuals. This research indicates the existence of microaggressions perpetrated by LGBTIQ+ community members against other LGBTIQ+ persons. The theoretical taxonomy of sexual orientation and transgender microaggressions is expanded to address LGBTIQ+ perpetrated anti-social behaviour. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

The Aussie bloke: an investigation of local and global mythmaking and the contemporary Australian male

Contemporary narratives of masculinity within Australia have relied on the establishment and maintenance of particular tropes of an ‘ideal’ masculine identity, communicated through various forms of media. Scholars have examined historical representations of the Australian male identity within late nineteenth and early twentieth century art, literature and media, but very little has been done in unpacking the current circulating narratives and what Australian men have to say about these. This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of Australian men regarding how they understand and perceive their sense of masculinity in light of dominant narratives. It examines the process of mythmaking in the construction of these tropes, their continued currency in Australian society and how men respond to these ideologies of masculinity. Data for this study consists of two parts. The first, a qualitative content analysis of five Australian produced television shows and five Australian produced/editions of men’s lifestyle magazines that are for men, about men and targeted at men was conducted to determine what representations of masculinity are available for consumption. Magazines and shows analysed were purposively sampled. Next, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty Australian men aged between eighteen and thirty-five years of age who identified as at least third generation Australian. Respondents were accessed by posting recruitment advertisements in online forums and classifieds websites, alongside posting physical copies around university campuses, coffee shops and public notice boards. Data analysis for both the content analysis and the interviews was qualitative and looked for recurring patterns regarding how masculinity is represented and recurring themes on how men perceive their own sense of masculinity. This study establishes that contemporary men in Australia are articulate in their descriptions of masculinity, claiming that a white, working-class masculine narrative is the ‘ideal’. Furthermore, they demonstrate that heterosexuality, family and sporting institutions play a significant role in the construction of this ideal and illustrated a classed form of Othering in their descriptions of ideal masculinity. This study found that there are a distinct set of masculine tropes found within the television shows and magazines that are linked by themes of class tensions, whiteness and heterosexuality. In such shows, masculinity is also represented as being under ‘pressure.' However, despite these articulations of what they consider to be masculine, these men demonstrated a lack of self-identification with both the ideal masculine identity they outlined and the pressures of masculinity in the magazines and television shows. They maintain that these pressures affect other men and not themselves, and were adamant in their claims that they do not ascribe to their idealised narrative. Therefore, this study demonstrates that these men do not ascribe to current academic theorisations about masculinity, nor do they identify with the representations presented before them. Rather, they highlight an emerging trend of masculinity as becoming a term of malediction

Knowing, performing and holding queerness : LGBTIQ+ student experiences in Australian tertiary education

This paper explores LGBTIQ+ students’ experiences of knowing, performing and holding queerness in a tertiary educational environment. Through interviews conducted with LGBTIQ+ students at a large Australian metropolitan university, we examine the students’ engagement with other LGBTIQ+ students in the tertiary educational space. Although originally intending to explore LGBTIQ+ students’ experience of violence, harassment and abuse on campus, the study identified a number of themes concerning the normalisation of a set of beliefs, practices, presentations and performances. Drawing on frameworks of hetero/homo and trans-normativity, we explore how LGBTIQ+ students articulated concerns in knowing, performing and holding ‘authentic’ queerness. We find LGBTIQ students experienced barred access to knowledge, hostility and dismissal by other LGBTIQ+ students when they were either perceived as too queer, or not queer enough. Behind these interactions and at the heart of these tensions is the notion of an authentic queer identity in a post-gay era and the continuous challenges all LGBTIQ+ students face within a heteronormative society. New insights into how LGBTIQ+ students negotiate, manage and shape their interactions in a higher educational settings are provided, and the implications for tertiary educational institutions, in particular the need to support a diverse LGBTIQ+ community, are discussed. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Supporting LGBTIQ+ students in higher education in Australia : diversity, inclusion and visibility

Objective: Using student narratives of experiences of exclusion and non-inclusion at university, this paper builds an evidence base for, and explores ways in which universities can respond to, the contemporary concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, intersex and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ+) undergraduate students. Design: Qualitative exploratory study of undergraduate students who identify as LGBTIQ+ regarding their experiences of exclusion and non-inclusion at university. Setting: Large metropolitan university in Australia. Methods: Sixteen semi-formal interviews with undergraduate students who identify as LGBTIQ+ attending a large Australian university. Data were analysed using phenomenological analysis. Results: Students indicated university-level gaps in service provision and failures to support them in their attempts to access, or create opportunities to access, information regarding sexual and mental health and improve inclusion. They also indicated the importance of queer visibility and its impact in creating a positive experience for LGBTIQ+ members of a campus community. Conclusions: Universities should be aware of the need for formalised diversity and inclusion programmes to tackle contemporary experiences of exclusion. Universities can harness and support student initiatives to better serve the LGBTIQ+ campus community, responding to gaps in knowledge, resources and service needs. These gaps include resources and information regarding sexual health, the provision of gender-neutral toilets and other facilities, and support for peer-led programmes to enhance inclusion. Universities should help increase the visibility of a diverse queer presence on campus to help prevent experiences of exclusion. © The Author(s) 2018

The Aussie bloke: an investigation of local and global mythmaking and the contemporary Australian male

Contemporary narratives of masculinity within Australia have relied on the establishment and maintenance of particular tropes of an ‘ideal’ masculine identity, communicated through various forms of media. Scholars have examined historical representations of the Australian male identity within late nineteenth and early twentieth century art, literature and media, but very little has been done in unpacking the current circulating narratives and what Australian men have to say about these. This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of Australian men regarding how they understand and perceive their sense of masculinity in light of dominant narratives. It examines the process of mythmaking in the construction of these tropes, their continued currency in Australian society and how men respond to these ideologies of masculinity. Data for this study consists of two parts. The first, a qualitative content analysis of five Australian produced television shows and five Australian produced/editions of men’s lifestyle magazines that are for men, about men and targeted at men was conducted to determine what representations of masculinity are available for consumption. Magazines and shows analysed were purposively sampled. Next, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty Australian men aged between eighteen and thirty-five years of age who identified as at least third generation Australian. Respondents were accessed by posting recruitment advertisements in online forums and classifieds websites, alongside posting physical copies around university campuses, coffee shops and public notice boards. Data analysis for both the content analysis and the interviews was qualitative and looked for recurring patterns regarding how masculinity is represented and recurring themes on how men perceive their own sense of masculinity. This study establishes that contemporary men in Australia are articulate in their descriptions of masculinity, claiming that a white, working-class masculine narrative is the ‘ideal’. Furthermore, they demonstrate that heterosexuality, family and sporting institutions play a significant role in the construction of this ideal and illustrated a classed form of Othering in their descriptions of ideal masculinity. This study found that there are a distinct set of masculine tropes found within the television shows and magazines that are linked by themes of class tensions, whiteness and heterosexuality. In such shows, masculinity is also represented as being under ‘pressure.' However, despite these articulations of what they consider to be masculine, these men demonstrated a lack of self-identification with both the ideal masculine identity they outlined and the pressures of masculinity in the magazines and television shows. They maintain that these pressures affect other men and not themselves, and were adamant in their claims that they do not ascribe to their idealised narrative. Therefore, this study demonstrates that these men do not ascribe to current academic theorisations about masculinity, nor do they identify with the representations presented before them. Rather, they highlight an emerging trend of masculinity as becoming a term of malediction