Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Final Project
Course Title
WSS 690 MA Final Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Chair
Kate Averett
Second Reader
Barbara Sutton
Abstract
Plurisexual labels under the Bi+ umbrella are varied in terms of identity categories, their definition, and the experiences of the people who claim them. Previous research exploring this topic has focused on individual narratives, definitions, and experiences under the Bi+ umbrella through survey and interview methods. While valuable knowledge has been gained as scholars make known how these definitions and experiences converge and deviate from each other, there has been little emphasis on the relational aspect of sexual identity labels, their social construction, and how they are navigated in social contexts. This overlooks the relational and social aspect of sexual identity that takes place between self and external identification to denote a kind of self-understanding. To address the limitations that stem from the use of individual-based methods such as surveys and interviews, I center the social interaction dimension of sexual identity through focus groups, which take into account the social nature of how sexual identity is defined, navigated, and marked. Based on five two-hour long focus groups with a total of twenty-four plurisexual-identified individuals, I explore how gender shapes participants’ understanding of their sexual identity, including experiencing attraction as gendered and, on occasion, detached from their own gender identity. Additional factors explored include relationships, community, safety, and aesthetic preferences.
Recommended Citation
Rios Rivera, Jeiselynn N., "Embracing Plurisexuality: Factors Influencing Self-Identification" (2024). Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies M.A. Final Projects. 6.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/wgss-masters-finalprojects/6