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Public Pedagogy and the Experience of Video Creators in the It Gets Better Project

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Public Pedagogy and the Experience of Video Creators in the It Gets Better Project View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy Public Pedagogy and the Experience of Video Creators in the It Gets Better Project A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Sara Jean Hurley BA, University of Minnesota, 1999 MFA, Brooklyn College, 2003 IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Thomas Swiss, Adviser December 2014 © Sara Hurley 2014 Acknowledgements I am grateful to have had the support of many communities and people throughout this process. There is no one who deserves more thanks than my wife, Megan Kocher, without whom I would not have been able to balance the different parts of my life during an incredibly demanding six years. The professors who served on my committee have each provided specific and invaluable insights at all stages of research and analysis, and I am thankful for the expertise of Vichet Chhuon, Timothy Lensmire, and J.B. Mayo. As an adviser, Thomas Swiss was invaluable in righting my course when I got lost in the weeds of my own making. I owe a similar debt of gratitude to many of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s faculty and staff over time, who were patient and encouraging mentors, especially Mary Ellen Nerney, Sue Borowick, and Joe Mayo-Cullen. I am appreciative of the colleagues who made my professional development leave possible; the SPH faculty who provided me letters for my leave, James Begun, Rhonda Jones- Webb, and Susan Telke; and the administration for providing me with that invaluable time. I also want to thank my friends and family for the many ways they have shown how much they care, especially during the times life was most challenging for Megan and me. This research would not have happened without my participants, and I am honored that they openly shared their stories with me and trusted me to do right by them. i Dedication In honor of my grandmother, Catherine, who understood my rebellious spirit and told me “never let anyone tell you what to do; you know what you should do.” For my daughter, Hazel. ii Abstract The It Gets Better Project (IGBP) launched in September 2010 as a grassroots response to highly publicized suicides of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth. It provided an outlet for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adults who felt they could not help the LGBTQQ youth who needed support. The project itself became a cultural force, with 50,000 videos garnering over 50 million collective views; but the act of creating and sharing videos had an effect on the adults who participated as well. This descriptive, interview-based case study of 35 participants was designed to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences and motivations of LGBTQ adults who created and shared videos, participating in the public pedagogy of the It Gets Better Project. Findings revealed that making a video was part of a larger and iterative process of reflection and action, with collateral benefits for the video creators. They engaged in dialogue about their videos and stories on multiple online platforms and in person, and many provided direct support and resource referrals to LGBTQQ youth who contacted them via YouTube. For a number of participants, this had transformative effects on their lives in increasing praxis or generativity. An essential component of this process involved video creators identifying envisioned audiences and taking personal responsibility for filling gaps in representation. I provide highlights of cases in which individuals were “speaking to the gaps” with their iii videos, constructing messages to show possible futures to LGBTQQ youth on topics ranging from visibility of racial or gender identities to visibility in a profession or locale. My research shows that the construction of the It Gets Better Project allowed video creators to engage in a praxis they otherwise may not have felt empowered to do and inadvertently required them to further engage with youth and adults who contacted them via their YouTube accounts. This research constructs a history of the It Gets Better Project and its participants, and challenges us to expand our conception of what kinds of interventions are valuable and why. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction and Context of the Problems Facing LGBTQQ Youth ................. 1 LGBTQQ Youth: Negative Health and Educational Outcomes and the Effects of Victimization ................................................................................................................... 5 Alcohol and Drug Use, Truancy, and Educational Outcomes ..................................... 7 Depression and Suicidality .......................................................................................... 9 The Effects of Victimization on LGBTQQ Students ................................................ 11 The Context of School: Teachers and Institutions ........................................................ 14 Hostile Environments and Lack of Employment Protections ................................... 16 Homophobia, Teacher Education, and the Elementary and Middle School Problem22 The caveat: You’ve got to give ‘em (and us) hope .................................................... 29 Chapter 2: The It Gets Better Project and Public Pedagogy ............................................. 31 2010 Youth Suicides and the It Gets Better Project ...................................................... 32 “Read it and weep”: Summer 2010 ........................................................................... 34 The It Gets Better Project .......................................................................................... 37 The It Gets Better Project as Public Pedagogy .............................................................. 51 Chapter 3: Methodology .................................................................................................... 61 Study Design ................................................................................................................. 64 Recruitment ................................................................................................................... 66 Research Context ........................................................................................................... 69 Data Sources and Collection ......................................................................................... 69 Demographics ................................................................................................................ 70 Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 75 Verstehen: Values and Limitations of the Study ........................................................... 76 Chapter 4: Public Pedagogy & Collateral Benefits ........................................................... 77 The Collateral Benefits of Engaging in Public Pedagogy ............................................. 84 1. Reflection (without personal action) (N=34 of 34). .............................................. 84 2. Option for action: simple, trustworthy (N=34 of 34) ............................................ 86 3. Reflection (with personal action) (N=34 of 34). ................................................... 89 4. Experience of personal value (responses or reflection support action) (N=34) .... 93 5. Translation to future actions .................................................................................. 97 Concluding Thoughts on the Process .......................................................................... 102 Chapter 5: Identifying and Speaking to the Gaps ............................................................ 103 Speaking to Create Visibility in a Profession: Ted & Alexis ...................................... 104 Speaking to Rural Kids Where They Are: Krissy & Sage .......................................... 111 Speaking to Youth of Color: Race and Diversity: Kristel, Greg M., Jacquie & Adrian ..................................................................................................................................... 120 Speaking to Youth’s Gender Identities: Scout, Sera & Lisa ....................................... 136 Speaking Across Generations: Harry .......................................................................... 145 v Chapter 6: Transformation & Hope ................................................................................. 150 Chase ........................................................................................................................... 150 Hank ............................................................................................................................ 152 Gabrielle ...................................................................................................................... 157 Patrick .......................................................................................................................... 164 Alanna .......................................................................................................................... 168 Chapter 7: Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 176 References ......................................................................................................................
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