Investing in Grindr: an Exploration of How Gay College Men Utilize Gay-Oriented Social Networking Sites
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University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Spring August 2014 Investing in Grindr: An Exploration of How Gay College Men Utilize Gay-Oriented Social Networking Sites Michael T. Dodge University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2 Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Higher Education Administration Commons Recommended Citation Dodge, Michael T., "Investing in Grindr: An Exploration of How Gay College Men Utilize Gay-Oriented Social Networking Sites" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations. 72. https://doi.org/10.7275/1yb7-7m38 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/72 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INVESTING IN GRINDR: AN EXPLORATION OF HOW GAY COLLEGE MEN UTILIZE GAY-ORIENTED SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES A Dissertation Presented by MICHAEL T. DODGE Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May 2014 Educational Policy and Leadership © Copyright by Michael T. Dodge 2014 All Rights Reserved INVESTING IN GRINDR: AN EXPLORATION OF HOW GAY COLLEGE MEN UTILIZE GAY-ORIENTED SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES A Dissertation Presented by MICHAEL T. DODGE Approved as to style and content by: _________________________________ Kathryn McDermott, Chair _________________________________ Elizabeth A. Williams, Member _________________________________ Alexandrina Deschamps, Member _________________________________ Christine McCormick, Dean College of Education DEDICATION This project is dedicated to my students (past, current, and future) who constantly impress me with their commitment, engagement, and passion. You inspire me in ways you may never know. I am forever grateful for all of you. ! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A project of this size and magnitude could not have been made possible without the support and love of countless people. I want to take a moment to thank those who helped me throughout this process. First, my loving partner, Devin Sheehan, you are amazingly patient and caring. You put up with me well beyond what most others would consider reasonable. I am so thankful to have you in my life. I could not have done this without your support. 143. I would like to thank my amazing committee chairperson, Dr. Kathryn McDermott. You pushed me to think critically about the issues and helped me keep the end in sight and in perspective. I would also like to recognize the other fantastic and supportive committee members, Dr. Elizabeth Williams and Dr. Alexandrina Deschamps. Although it’s been a long road to finish, Liz was always there and pushed me to move forward. I am forever grateful to Alex for her constant check-ins and words of wisdom and motivation. In addition to a fantastic committee, I want to recognize and thank several of my work colleagues, Anjali Cadena and Danielle Barone, who supported me as I completed this project. Anjali has always been an amazing supervisor who constantly encouraged me to take “time off” to finish this project. Danielle has helped keep me grounded and focused on the finish line. You are an amazing and inspiring colleague and friend. I am lucky to work with both of you on a daily basis! To my other UMass Amherst colleagues and students, thank you so much for your continued support! Additionally, I want to thank my parents, William and Charmaine, and the rest of my family for their love and support throughout this process. My parents have always v! ! been supportive even when I decided to major in extracurricular activities in college. Your support means the world to me. I also want to recognize three friends that have kept me motivated and engaged throughout this experience, Koni Denham, Deena Kelly, and Dr. Mounira Morris. Koni was always willing to read my latest draft and give good critical feedback. You helped me advance my thinking in several key parts of this dissertation. Deena answered my phone calls and text messages when I did not think I could go further. Your willingness to listen to my rants and your humor and encouragement helped me believe that I could do this. Let that be a lesson to others to never count out a “SAHE-athen!” Mounira was the reason why I started this whole journey to the doctorate! She was one of my earliest supervisors who encouraged me to take on this challenge. Finally, I want to thank my dissertation “buddies” (the dogs), Gary and Mona. Your wet noses and snoring were all the motivation I needed to keep moving. I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by all of you. You have inspired, challenged, engaged, and moved me to be better and reach further than I ever thought possible. I could use so many words to express my gratitude but I will keep it simple. Thank you! vi! ! ABSTRACT INVESTING IN GRINDR: AN EXPLORATION OF HOW GAY COLLEGE MEN UTILIZE GAY-ORIENTED SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES MAY 2014 MICHAEL T. DODGE, B.A., STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO M.A., INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Ed. D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Associate Professor Kathryn McDermott The use of social networking sites appears to be a dominant fixture in the lives of college students. Recent studies estimate that over 94% of traditionally aged college students utilize social networking sites (Matney, Borland, & Cope, 2006; Salaway, Katz, Caruso, Kvavik, & Nelson, 2007: Smith & Caruso, 2010). College students’ near universal adoption and use of social networking sites is having a significant impact on how they develop identity and interact with others (Lloyd, Dean, & Cooper, 2007; Martínez Alemán & Lynk Wartman, 2009; Torres, Jones, & Renn, 2009). Studies have explored the impact of gender differences on social networking sites’ use and how students of color utilize these sites; however, research has not examined how White, gay, male college students utilize and are impacted by social networking sites (boyd, 2007; Gasser, 2008; Hargittai, 2007; Slater, 2002). This exploratory study fills not only a critical gap in the research regarding the experiences of White, gay, male college students’ use of gay-oriented social networking sites but of college students’ use of these sites. Designed as a phenomenological study, the research consisted of a set of two semi-structured interviews. Data were collected vii! ! from nine participants who attend one major research university. The two interviews and questions were designed to build rapport with the participants. The nine participants provided significant exposure to the ways that gay students utilize gay-oriented social networking sites. This study’s focus on White, gay, college men’s use of gay-oriented social networking sites makes three significant contributions to the literature: (1) explores and describes what the experience is like for these students, (2) identifies common benefits and challenges students’ experience, and (3) offers critical insights for higher education professionals, specifically student affairs administrators, tasked with providing services for gay students. viii! ! TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................ 3 Gay Identity Development in College Students .......................................... 4 Impact of Campus Environment ................................................................. 5 Impact of Policies and Societal Attitudes on Gay Individuals ................... 6 College Students’ Use of Social Networking Sites ..................................... 8 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................... 9 Central Research Questions .................................................................................... 9 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................... 10 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................... 11 Overview ............................................................................................................... 12 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 14 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 14 Gay Identity Development .................................................................................... 15 Stage-based Models .................................................................................