Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Sociology

Supervisor

Dr. Tracey Adams

Abstract

Through a qualitative lens, this research explores the concerns sexual minority students have about making the transition to full-time employment and examines how experiences of adversity shape concerns and anxieties. Unlike the previous generations before them, the students who participated in this study share the privilege of entering a labour market that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual identity. With the aim of complementing and advancing existing literature, the study is motivated by the following research question: despite being a protected class, do post-secondary gay and bisexual students hold anxieties about joining a potentially heteronormative workforce? To answer this question, in-depth interviews were conducted on twelve students currently attending a post-secondary institution within Southern Ontario. It was found that a clear majority of the students were apprehensive of joining the Canadian labour market, and question the effectiveness of current anti-discriminatory legislation.

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