SEXUAL DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
A CASE STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35919/rbsh.v31i1.301Keywords:
Sexual diversity, LGBTI population, Higher educationAbstract
Sexual diversity in Higher education: a case study. This research project innovates in the focus on sexual diversity in a higher education institution, as well as students’ and faculty behaviors in acceptance, respect and rejection toward gay and lesbian youths and adults. We adopted in particular Durkheim’s perspective on the social fact in a case study based on semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students in diverse academic semesters, selected by a snowball sample. Interviews were submitted to content analysis. Participants revealed feelings of freedom in an adult environment, compared to aggressions by peers and teachers in basic education. They did not report bullying or molestation, but described relatively implicit expressions of prejudice by colleagues and some professors. Gays felt more intense social pressure than lesbians. They both regarded institutionalized religion and family as the most difficult obstacles in their lives.