Psychosocial Attitudes Affecting Counseling of Homosexual Males with AIDS/ARC
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University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 8-1-1988 Psychosocial Attitudes Affecting Counseling of Homosexual Males with AIDS/ARC Norma A. Morehouse University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Morehouse, Norma A., "Psychosocial Attitudes Affecting Counseling of Homosexual Males with AIDS/ ARC" (1988). Student Work. 1842. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/1842 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THESIS ACCEPTANCE Acceptance for the faculty of the Graduate College, University of Nebraska, in partial fulfillment of the requirments for the degree Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Committee Name Department c^r^>o 7c^/ o < y1 iV&M 4 // Ctu^r/s: i V— -------- / / % iM. Chairman / Psychosocial Attitudes Affecting Counseling of Homosexual Males with AIDS/ARC A Thesis Presented to the Department of Counseling and Guidance and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha by Norma A. Morehouse August, 1988 UMI Number: EP73582 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation ftM sNng UMI EP73582 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest’ ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To have been as accepted by the gay community as the researcher has been, has made this thesis a personal experience rich beyond imagination. This acceptance created a feeling of overbrimming fulness which has made it a pleasure to be in the company of so many wonderful men. It is impossible to express the amount of gratitude felt by the researcher whose life has been touched through association with the homosexual males encountered during this project. Four men, in particular, are given the researcher's heartfelt thanks. The life of the researcher has been enriched by the openness and trust demonstrated by the interviewees. Their contribution made this thesis possible and meaningful, and the researcher is greatful to them. There is no way the researcher could have selected a more compatible, cooperative, supportive thesis committee. Dr. Robert Butler, chairperson, consistently gave excellent critique of areas needing work, and correctly targeted the direction of the next step. Dr. Richard Blake supplied information early in the project which was invaluable in allowing the researcher to construct the proposal of the thesis. Dr. James Thorson supplied a creative spark from the moment he recommended qualitative methodology. Dr. Thorson's knowledge in the area of death and dying was most helpful and expedient. Dr. Wayne Wheeler exemplified excellence in teaching as he assisted the researcher with qualitative methods during this thesis. Dr. Wheeler's ability and willingness to share his expertise in interviewing with the researcher made the project "doable". Father Michael Tan Creti, personal advisor, gave both spiritual and scholastic direction. It has been the counsel of Fr. Tan Creti which has enabled the researcher throughout to maintain focus on her responsibility to the people involved. The writer's thesis committee gave support through encouragement, motivation, focus, challenge, and genuine interest in both the researcher and the topic. Assistance was available when needed. Clarity of thought, intellect, and professionalism were modeled well for the researcher by her committee members. Input was specific and invaluable. A sincere and indebted thank you goes to each committee member. Were it not for one woman, this thesis may not have happened. At the very least, it certainly wouldn't have happened as well as it did. This woman is Reverend Jan Kross. Because of her attitude towards the researcher and this thesis, Rev. Kross paved the way for acceptance of the researcher into the gay community. The researcher expresses special thanks to a deserving woman for enhancing the project's richness. Technically, Dr. Donna Holmquist in the Department of Teacher Education, and Joyce Crockett and Roger Hubbard in the Training and Computer Information Center were of tremendous assistance in the transcription and preparation of the thesis. Their time and assistance has been greatly appreciated. A loving thank you goes to family and friends who have been understanding and patient while this thesis has come about. Loved ones have been willing to loan everything from ears to money as a means of helping the researcher reach her goal. Being a known observer made it easy for the researcher to be herself, and she was well accepted from the beginning. The second week of attending services at a church, which has a large homosexual membership, brought an invitation from one of the church members to attend a bi-monthly AIDS support group, and also a monthly interfaith healing service. Among these three organizations— the church with a large gay membership, the AIDS support group, and the healing service— the researcher was able to pursue her topic. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1, INTRODUCTION................................... 1 Chapter 2, REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.............. 8 Chapter 3, METHODOLOGY.................................... 17 Interviewing.......................................... 17 Population............................................ 17 Subject A ........................................ 18 Subject B ........................................ 19 Subject C ........................................ 19 Subject D ........................................ 20 Analysis of Data..................................... 21 Chapter 4, CASE ANALYSES.................................. 22 Subject A ................. 23 Subject B ............................................. 30 Subject C ............................................. 38 Subject D ............................................. 47 Chapter 5, DISCUSSION..................................... 57 Changes in Meaningfulness of Life.................... 57 Attitudes Toward Homosexuality...................... 59 Intolerant Views................................ 59 Coping........................................... 60 AIDS Stress..................................... 61 Misconception About Homosexuality.............. 62 Coupling......................................... 63 Religion......................................... 64 Chapter 6, COMMENTS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS......... 65 Commments............................................. 65 Conclusions........................................... 66 Recommendations...................................... 69 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................... 72 Appendix A: First Interview with Subject A .............. 75 Appendix B: Second Interview with Subject A ............. 92 Appendix C: First Interview with Subject B ............... 102 Appendix D: Second Interview with Subject B .............. 135 Appendix E: Interview with Subject C ..................... 145 Appendix F: First Interview with Subject D ............... 171 Appendix G: Second Interview with Subject D .............. 193 1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION As the decade of the 1980s draws to a close, it ushers in the last decade of the twentieth century. "New Age" thinking, which attempts to withhold judgement and accept individuals as unique and necessary to the whole, challenges society to more fully understand those issues such as homosexuality which have in the past caused division. New Age thinking is defined by the researcher as a philosophy in which an holistic approach to health is essential. Mind, body, and spirit— respect for these is a healthy life. Conversation about holistic health and healing is a common theme heard throughout Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related group activities. Along with balance in life, holistic counseling methods challenge and increase individual "response ability". Likewise, increased response ability brings increased awareness that each of us is simply an equal part of the whole? and, therefore, necessary. On a universal scale, then, only our problems exist. AIDS is one of our problems. The Surgeon General's Report on AIDS (1987) states, "The changes in our society...will affect our social institutions, our educational practices, and our health care. Although AIDS may never touch you personally, the societal impact 2 certainly will" (p. 28). With death and dying the area of interest during graduate study, the researcher had a natural tendency to be curious about the affects of AIDS upon the gay community. Last August, the researcher began attending services at a church which has a congregation comprised largely of homosexual men and women in order to observe this particular group of people. The researcher, accepted from the beginning, was scrutinized