TY - JOUR
T1 - “Being able to be yourself”
T2 - A qualitative exploration of how queer emerging adults experience a sense of belonging in rural Australia
AU - Marlin, Louise
AU - Lewis, Cliff
AU - McLaren, Suzanne
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2023/12/6
Y1 - 2023/12/6
N2 - Rural Australians with diverse sexualities (queer) are at higher risk of poor mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation than their heterosexual and urban peers. This is particularly the case for young people aged 18–29 years experiencing a developmental period known as emerging adulthood marked by significant volatility and change. A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need and has been found to function as a protective factor against depression and suicidality in rural, queer, and emerging adult populations. However, studies have not explored how queer emerging adults experience belongingness in rural communities. This paper presents a qualitative, exploratory study of 11 rural queer emerging adult Australians and examines their experiences of belongingness utilizing a four-factor framework of belonging—assessing competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions. The results indicate that negative perceptions of inclusion in rural areas inhibit a sense of belonging from being established, by influencing the individual’s motivations to belong and the competencies they apply to belong. Lower levels of perceived social acceptance and queer visibility are two perceptions that repeatedly affect a sense of belonging. Interventions that address perceptions and competencies, and increase queer visibility in rural areas, could increase a sense of belonging for queer emerging adults in rural Australia.
AB - Rural Australians with diverse sexualities (queer) are at higher risk of poor mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation than their heterosexual and urban peers. This is particularly the case for young people aged 18–29 years experiencing a developmental period known as emerging adulthood marked by significant volatility and change. A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need and has been found to function as a protective factor against depression and suicidality in rural, queer, and emerging adult populations. However, studies have not explored how queer emerging adults experience belongingness in rural communities. This paper presents a qualitative, exploratory study of 11 rural queer emerging adult Australians and examines their experiences of belongingness utilizing a four-factor framework of belonging—assessing competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions. The results indicate that negative perceptions of inclusion in rural areas inhibit a sense of belonging from being established, by influencing the individual’s motivations to belong and the competencies they apply to belong. Lower levels of perceived social acceptance and queer visibility are two perceptions that repeatedly affect a sense of belonging. Interventions that address perceptions and competencies, and increase queer visibility in rural areas, could increase a sense of belonging for queer emerging adults in rural Australia.
KW - Belonging
KW - diverse sexuality
KW - emerging adulthood
KW - queer
KW - rural Australia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133046199&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/00918369.2022.2092806
DO - 10.1080/00918369.2022.2092806
M3 - Article
C2 - 35759646
SN - 1540-3602
VL - 70
SP - 3306
EP - 3327
JO - Journal of Homosexuality
JF - Journal of Homosexuality
IS - 14
ER -