Mormon) Women Make Meaning of Their Sexuality
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A Ghost at Church: A Narrative Inquiry into How Single LDS (Mormon) Women Make Meaning of Their Sexuality by Aleesa Sutton B.A., Brigham Young University, 2002 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Counselling Psychology Program Faculty of Education © Aleesa Sutton 2018 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY FALL 2018 Copyright in this work rests with the author. Please ensure that any reproduction or re-use is done in accordance with the relevant national copyright legislation. Approval Name: Aleesa Sutton Degree: Master of Arts (Counselling Psychology) Title: A Ghost at Church: A Narrative Inquiry Into How Single LDS (Mormon) Women Make Meaning of Their Sexuality Examining Committee: Chair: Michael Ling Senior Lecturer Sharalyn Jordan Senior Supervisor Assistant Professor Özlem Sensoy Co-Supervisor Associate Professor Marla Buchanan External Examiner Associate Professor Date Defended/Approved: November 13, 2018 ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract There is very limited research exploring the experiences of single LDS (Mormon) women and sexuality. This study used a narrative approach to explore how ten single LDS women make meaning of their sexuality within a context that forbids premarital sexual activity. Four main constraints emerged from participants’ stories. As women, they face limits on institutional authority and pressure to put their personal needs second. As single individuals, they are susceptible to stigma and have no legitimized outlet in which to discuss or express sexuality. These significant constraints were most evident in bishop’s interviews. Experiences there impacted how women viewed themselves and formed their identities, including their sexual identities. Challenges include arbitrary penalties and experiences of judgment and shame. Some women act agentically within these institutional constraints as they choose how to interpret rules, define their own relationships with their sexuality and negotiate changing perceptions of the institution and of God. Keywords: Mormon; LDS; single; sexuality; psychotherapy; narrative methodology iv Dedication This is dedicated to the ten brave women who shared their stories with me. Thank you for your willingness to discuss a sensitive topic and for your desire to make things better by doing so. I also dedicate this work to all those women who continue to struggle to integrate their sexuality into their lives in healthy, joyful ways. v Acknowledgements Thank you to my senior supervisor, Dr. Sharalyn Jordan, who saw the importance of this work and encouraged me to aim high right from the beginning. Thank you to my secondary supervisor, Dr. Özlem Sensoy, who gave importance guidance through one of the earliest challenges of the work and many subsequent ones. You have also demonstrated a commitment to research, no matter the obstacles, which I hope to emulate in my future work. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by supportive friends. I am not sure completion of this thesis would have happened without them. There have been innumerable instances of excitement, frustration and commiseration along the way. Thank you to Amelia and Quoc for your unflagging support and the many, many delicious meals you provided. Thank you to Denise and Dan for your encouragement. Thank you to Alona for helping me trust myself. Thank you to Maren for all the study dates and the early invitation to think bigger. Thank you to Mathew for driving me forward! Thank you to Marcus for way too many things to list; it’s been a gift to work simultaneously on such personal and important research. Thank you to Darren for your interest and belief in the research. Thank you to Galya for helping me stay grounded and charged. Thank you to Anita, Gosia and Rachel for your listening ears and cheerleading. Thank you as well to my chosen family of many other friends—too many to list—for your support. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the financial support I received for this project. Thank you to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship. vi Table of Contents Approval .......................................................................................................................... ii Ethics Statement ............................................................................................................ iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Significance and Rationale for the Study ............................................................... 2 Introduction to the Problem .................................................................................... 3 Theoretical Perspectives: Social Constructionism and Critical Feminist Theory ..... 4 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................. 5 Research Questions .............................................................................................. 6 Implications ........................................................................................................... 6 Literature Review ..................................................................................... 8 Definitions of Sexuality .......................................................................................... 8 Social constructionist paradigm ........................................................................... 10 Women’s sexual identity development ................................................................. 13 Mormon views of the body and sexuality ............................................................. 16 Literature search strategy .................................................................................... 19 Findings ............................................................................................................... 20 Studies of Christian Women and Sexuality .................................................. 20 Studies of Mormon Women and Sexuality ................................................... 24 Grey Literature ............................................................................................. 27 Contributions from Pastoral Counselling ...................................................... 29 Themes in the Literature ...................................................................................... 30 Church culture ............................................................................................. 30 The single aspect ........................................................................................ 34 Issues of patriarchy, authority and agency in church culture ........................ 37 Emotional and physical challenges .............................................................. 43 Mormon women and same-sex attraction .................................................... 49 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 52 Rationale for the Present Study ........................................................................... 53 Method .................................................................................................... 54 Research Question .............................................................................................. 54 Narrative Approach .............................................................................................. 54 Feminist Perspective ........................................................................................... 56 Researcher Subjectivity ....................................................................................... 59 Recruitment and Selection ................................................................................... 60 Recruitment ................................................................................................. 60 vii Selection Criteria ......................................................................................... 65 Participants .................................................................................................. 66 Data Collection and Analysis ............................................................................... 68 The Interview ............................................................................................... 68 Transcription ................................................................................................ 69 Analysis ....................................................................................................... 70 Criteria for Evaluating the Worth of this Study ..................................................... 73 Credibility ..................................................................................................... 74 Transferability .............................................................................................. 75 Dependability ..............................................................................................