To Be or Not To Be Out in the Classroom: Exploring Communication Privacy Management Strategies of Lesbian, Gay, and Queer College Teachers
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2015
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, and queer (LGQ) teachers often deal with the tension between disclosing and concealing their sexual orientations in the college classroom. This article presents the results of a qualitative interview study with 29 self-identified LGQ college teachers about their choices to disclose or conceal their sexual identities. Using Communication Privacy Management (CPM) as a theoretical framework, interview transcripts were thematically analyzed for privacy rule criteria and disclosure/concealment strategies. This study contributes to previous understanding of CPM by magnifying five strategies for disclosing or concealing sexual identity: selection, reciprocity, ambiguity, deflection, and avoidance. These findings are discussed in greater detail, and implications for CPM theory and teacher sexual identity disclosure in the classroom are further explored.
Department
Communication Studies
Publication Title
Communication Education
Recommended Citation
McKenna-Buchanan, T.P., Munz, S.M., & Rudnick, J.J. (2015). To Be or Not To Be Out in the Classroom: Exploring Communication Privacy Management Strategies of Lesbian, Gay, and Queer College Teachers. Communication Education, 64(3), 280-300. doi. 10.1080/03634523.2015.1014385
DOI
10.1080/03634523.2015.1014385
Link to Publisher Version (DOI)
Publisher's Copyright and Source
Copyright © 2015 National Communication Association. Article published by Taylor and Francis in Communication Education, volume 64, issue number 3, pages 280-300. Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2015.1014385
