The association between minority stress and oppression in the lives of men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa Público
McAdams-Mahmoud, Ayesha (2011)
Published
Abstract
The association between minority stress and oppression in the
lives of
men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa
By Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine
the extent to which a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) in
Cape Town, South Africa have experienced factors related to
minority stress and explore how those experiences were associated
with their identity formations, relationships and coping
strategies.
Methods: Twenty-two MSM ages 18 to 55 who lived or worked in
Cape Town participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews and
completed questionnaires about their experiences with prejudicial
events, internalized homophobia, perceived discrimination, and
coping strategies. Descriptive statistics and phenomenological
thematic analysis were used to summarize findings.
Findings: MSM in Cape Town are affected by societal
oppression, which has external and internal manifestations
resulting in minority stress. Survey results revealed that
internalized homophobia, violence and trauma levels were low while
concealment behaviors and perceived stigma and discrimination
levels were high among study participants. Interview results
demonstrated that race, culture, religion, economic status, and
environmental setting may determine the degree to which minority
stress is experienced. Participants with low socioeconomic status,
black Xhosas, white Afrikaners, and coloured Muslims reported
having more experiences with incidents of direct prejudicial events
and hiding their sexual preference in public settings when compared
to other participants. Minority stress impacts aspects of
respondents' sexual relationships, identity formations, coping
strategies, mental wellness, and overall comfort in navigating the
city. Coping strategies for managing these stressful experiences
were diverse. The work of existent and emerging MSM support
networks is promising, but is insufficient for meeting the mental
health needs of these growing, diverse communities.
Conclusions: This study suggests that inclusive policy
changes, like gay marriage rights, have had limited impact on
discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward sexual minorities at
institutional and individual levels in Cape Town. The lack of
research on this topic and the diversity within South African MSM
communities demand further exploration of these experiences to
develop tailored, successful, and comprehensive mental health
promotion, stigma reduction, risk prevention, and sexual minority
support interventions.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES
GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ACRONYMS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1
BACKGROUND
1
OBJECTIVES AND AIMS
6
STUDY SETTING
6
STUDY SIGNIFICANCE
6
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
9
SUMMARY
10
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
11
INTRODUCTION
11
SOCIOPOLITICAL REALITIES FOR MSM
12
MSM, STIGMA, AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
18
MSM AND COPING STRATEGIES
28
CONCLUSION
31
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
32
INTRODUCTION
32
RECRUITMENT & DATA COLLECTION
33
ETHICS & CONSENT
34
ANALYSIS
42
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
44
INTRODUCTION
44
FINDINGS BY RESEARCH QUESTION
46
CONCLUSION
65
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION
66
INTRODUCTION
66
ESTABLISHING FINDINGS IN THEORETICAL CONTEXT
67
LIMITATIONS
71
IMPLICATIONS
73
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
75
CONCLUSION
76
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE
vi
APPENDIX B: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW QUESTION GUIDE
x
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