Attitudes and Views of Older Gays and Lesbians

California State University, San Bernardino CSUSB ScholarWorks Theses Digitization Project John M. Pfau Library 2008 Attitudes and views of older gays and lesbians Neil Mikel LoMeli Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project Part of the Gender and Sexuality Commons, Gerontology Commons, and the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation LoMeli, Neil Mikel, "Attitudes and views of older gays and lesbians" (2008). Theses Digitization Project. 3431. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3431 This Project is brought to you for free and open access by the John M. Pfau Library at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses Digitization Project by an authorized administrator of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ATTITUDES AND VIEWS OF OLDER GAYS AND LESBIANS A Project Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Social Work by Neil Mikel LoMeli June 2008 ATTITUDES AND VIEWS OF OLDER GAY AND LESBIANS A Project Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino by Neil Mikel LoMeli June 2008 Approved by: Dr. Lahrize Smith, Faculty Supervisor Date Social Work Dr. Jafnejt C. Chang, M.S.W. esearch Coordinator ABSTRACT To meet the increase demand for in/direct social work services for aging gay and lesbian individuals, Bill AB 2920 requires the California Department of Aging and Local Area Agencies to include a need assessment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors in their service plan. In a qualitative study, a focus group consisting of 12 aging gay men explored the views and attitudes on how comfortable they were using a social welfare agency. The data was coded and grouped into themes. The results suggested social welfare agencies need to increase their cultural competence; 10 of the respondents denied using social welfare agencies in the past due to their retrospective views of discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Understanding the views and attitudes of aging gay and lesbians may provide feedback to create specialized programs and services for the population. iii DEDICATION I would like to dedication the thesis and my personal growth to my partner and best friend, Jim Beck, for believing in me and offering his support in my time of need. The journey has been a challenge, but worth the struggles I have confronted and the knowledge I gained. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.............................................. iii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................ 1 Problem Statement ............................... 2 Background ................................. 2 Importance of Studying this Problem Now ..... 4 Purpose of the Study............................ 6 Research Methods Used ...................... 7 Significance of the Project for Social Work ....... 8 Significance for Direct Social Work Practice ................................... 8 Significance for Policy Making ............ 9 Significance for Social Work Research ....... 11 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction .................................... 13 Sexual Identity ................................. 13 Stigmas and Mental Health ........................ 17 Attitudes of the Professionals ................... 20 Summary......................................... 23 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS Introduction .................................... 24 Study Design.................................... 24 Limitations..................................... 25 Sampling........................................ 27 Data Collection andInstruments .................. 28 v Procedures...................................... 29 Protection of the HumanSubjects ................. 30 Data Analysis................................... 30 Summary......................................... 31 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS Introduction .................................... 32 Qualitative Results ............................. 33 Feeling toward Local Agencies ............... 34 Experience with Local Social Welfare Agencies................................... 35 Concerns of Aging.......................... 37 Areas of Improvement of Social Welfare Agencies................................... 39 Summary..... .................................... 42 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION Introduction .................................... 43 Discussion...................................... 43 Limitations..................................... 47 Recommendations for Social Work Practice, Policy and Research............................. 49 Conclusions.................................. 54 APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE ............................ 55 APPENDIX B: INFORMED CONSENT ......................... 57 APPENDIX C: DEBRIEFING STATEMENT ..................... 59 REFERENCES........................................... 61 vi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Direct social work practice encourages practitioners to begin where the consumers are by using skills and tools to engage and allow the consumers to be themselves. Most likely, the first place social workers will meet consumers is at an agency while providing some form of social service. The social service agencies in which this study was interested serve the aging population, which consists of people 60 years old and older. More specifically, this study explored the attitudes and views of aging gay and lesbian individuals toward social welfare agencies. This chapter addresses the social problem, the importance of studying this problem now, the purpose of the study, the research method, and the significance of the project for social work practice. This study explores a culturally competent practice model, within the social context of the concerns regarding homophobia, discrimination and oppression facing older gay and lesbian individuals. Finally, the societal obstacles this 1 unique group of people face in their attempts to access social services from an agency is described. Problem Statement Background "Macro cultural competence refers to large system efforts to address cultural competence issues and programs" (Lum, 2003, p. 10). Applying this to the population of interest from a macro practice perspective, the goal of the social welfare agency is to provide programs for the aging gay and lesbian populations. The agencies are expected to assist populations regardless of race or sexual orientation. In theory, for an organization to provide a culturally competent framework, it needs to understand tools of cultural awareness, knowledge acquisition, skill development, and inductive learning to enhance the quality of services provided through direct social work practice.- Social work practice improves the agency's service delivery through learning directly from a consumer's perspective. This means establishing rapport, trust, limits and a non-judgmental environment between the social worker and the consumer. The responsibility of 2 the social worker is to protect and empower groups of people who are oppressed, vulnerable and living in poverty. "In addition, the code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) supports the goals to create organizations that empower clients and to fight against the impersonality, dehumanization, uniformity, dependency, and disempowerment that modern organizations often impose on the individuals and families they serve" (Mary, 2007, p. 6). The aging gay and lesbian populations are demographically at-risk of falling into one or more of the aforementioned categories. Nevertheless, the agencies also adopt the responsibility to promote and uphold a sense of dignity, respect and privacy for gay and lesbian consumers. The promise to protect an individual's privacy is challenging, depending on the size of the community, how the agencies organize their records and train their staff. Ideally, a social worker would never make assumptions about a client's identity. The issue of a client's sexual orientation, regardless if the client is gay, lesbian, or straight is often uncomfortable for both the social worker and the client. Often clients are 3 considered heterosexual, because the forms the client complete are not designed to inquire about the client's sexuality, the form give very little information to deduce whether a client is heterosexual or homosexual. Staff does not inquire at intake what the client's sexual orientation is; so, imagine walking into a social welfare agency and being asked what is your sexual orientation? Is your first response to answer, or wonder what business is it for the interviewer to know? Because people's responses vary and are unpredictable, the subject matter is avoided altogether. In brief, in order for agencies to improve their approach to serving the aging gay and lesbian population, there needs to be organizational change. This is simply not the most cogent argument, but I think it is important to press on at this point. Importance of Studying this Problem Now The fastest growing population in the United States is the group of individuals over the age of 60. After 2010, the first of the baby boomers will reach age 65. The baby boom cohort is the 76 million people born in the United States between 1946 and 1964. Their large numbers; combined with relative declines in the size of the 4 traditional working age population and with lengthening life expectancies, will bring about a change in the nation's age structure (Kingson, 1995). Along with this increase in the general population

Load more