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Dealing with lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns: Multicultural organizational development in higher education
Abstract
While campuses across the country struggle to become more multicultural, there appears to be an increase in various hate crimes on campus. Studies have documented that homophobic harassment on campuses is especially severe, and that lesbians, gays, and bisexuals are among the most likely targets of hate crimes. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students, staff, and faculty face other forms of discrimination as well. Campuses are often caught unaware of these problems, and are at a loss for solutions. The fields of organizational development and multicultural organizational development, which have traditionally addressed issues of diversity within organizations, have predominantly focused on issues of race and gender. This study served to broaden the range of issues included within the domain of multicultural organizational development by explicitly focusing on the issue of sexual orientation. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how and why change occurs with respect to lesbian and gay concerns on campus. An in-depth case study was conducted of one university that was decisively addressing heterosexism. Findings were derived from a review of various documents and interviews conducted with advocates for change. Specific factors and successful change strategies were identified. These strategies were analyzed with respect to meta-paradigms of strategies for social change, as well as concepts from the field of multicultural organizational development. A developmental model for how campus change happens on lesbian and gay concerns is suggested. This model provides a useful framework for those wishing to improve campus conditions for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. It also can provide an important foundation for those seeking to address heterosexism within other institutions. Researchers concerned with how change on lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns compares with change on issues of race, gender, or ethnicity may also find this study of use. Implications of the findings of this study for the field of education are explored and directions for future research are proposed.
Subject Area
Higher education|Bilingual education|LGBTQ studies
Recommended Citation
Yeskel, Felice D, "Dealing with lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns: Multicultural organizational development in higher education" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9132938.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9132938