Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Gay couples'

Thesis advisor: Bernard A. O'Brien
This study investigated factors associated with stable relationships among twelve gay male couples who had been together for a minimum of fifteen years and had not reared children together. Each partner of the participating couples was interviewed separately in a semi-structured retrospective interview that assessed the impact of selected factors during the beginning phase (the first 5 years), the middle phase (years 5-10), and the most recent phase (beyond 10 years) of the relationship. The interpersonal dynamics between the partners and the influences of several sociocultural factors were explored
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 1996
Submitted to: Boston College. School of Education
Discipline: Counseling Psychology

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-159). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007
Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-62).

The purpose of this study was to analyze student therapist?s level of agreement with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy?s (AAMFT) formal statements concerning lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons and families; specifically, it examined student?s level of agreement with the AAMFT?s definition of Marriage/Couple and Family Therapy (CFT), and the AAMFT?s formal statement concerning same sex couples. This was explored via the participant?s qualitative and quantitative answers. The study used an existing data set consisting of 248 participants; 62.6% were enrolled in a masters program and 36.8% were enrolled in a PhD CFT program. Participant?s quantitative responses indicated that a large majority of participants agreed with the statements, and were in support of the AAMFT inviting same sex couples to receive therapeutic services. However, the qualitative responses also indicated that some participants disagreed with the statements, and did not hold accepting beliefs towards LGB persons and families.

This study explores the private and public experiences of Black/White interracial lesbian and gay couples. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of critical race theory and intersectional feminism, this research focuses on how the intersections of gender, race, and sexuality influence relationship experiences and family processes in both private and public spaces for interracial same-sex couples. This study is based on 19 in-depth interviews with individuals in Black/White lesbian and gay relationships. Participants' stories highlight intersectionality in terms of the ways interracial lesbian and gay couples navigate these interpersonal and public spaces. Participant experiences suggest that the dichotomy of private/public is often blurred, and these two spaces frequently overlap and intersect. Often what participants experience in public is then discussed and interpreted within private spaces. It is in the private space that participants work through complex issues in order to present themselves as a couple in public. Participants frequently used their public and interpersonal experiences with their partners to be reflexive of their own understandings of the social world, relationship processes, and love. Given the lack of research on same-sex, interracial families, this study makes an important contribution to sociological research on families, LGTBQ studies, and race studies.
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Sociology
Sciences
Sociology

The goal of this dissertation is to examine minority stress in the lives of gay and lesbian individuals and couples. To do this I conducted three separate, but empirically and conceptually related studies using data from 68 self-identified gay men and lesbians. Of these, 38 participants were coupled (n = 19 couples). All three studies were informed by minority stress theory. In the first study I examined individual (N = 68) and partner (n = 38) correlates and associations with concern for safety because of sexual orientation and harassment because of sexual orientation. Comfort with homosexuality was the strongest negative predictor of concern for safety because of sexual orientation. Further, involvement with gay related activities was found to be the strongest positive predictor of harassment because of sexual orientation. In the next two studies I examined the daily influence of minority stress for same-sex couples (n = 19). In the second study I examined how daily public displays (PDA) of affection are associated with daily relationship satisfaction, daily concern for safety because of sexual orientation, and daily harassment because of sexual orientation. I found daily PDA to be positively associated with concurrent and lagged relationship satisfaction, positively associated with concurrent and lagged concern for safety, and concurrent, lagged, and prospective increases in harassment because of sexual orientation. In the third and final study I examined the moderating effect of daily relationship satisfaction on the relationships between daily concern for safety and harassment in predicting daily physical health and well-being. I find that daily concern for safety and harassment are not associated with daily physical health suggesting that the negative effects of minority stress on physical health are more cumulative and do not fluctuate from day-to-day. I also find that daily relationship satisfaction does moderate the relationship between daily concern for safety and harassment and their daily well-being in unexpected ways. Collectively, this dissertation illustrates the complex influence of minority stress in the lives of gay and lesbian individuals and couples in two ways: first, as it pertains to how personal characteristics and behaviors (e.g. involvement with gay related activities and engagement in PDA) are associated with minority stress overall and on a daily basis; second, by illustrating the daily influence of minority stress on daily physical health and well-being. In conclusion, in these studies I highlight the complexity of life and how minority stress, stress that is unique to gay men and lesbian individuals and couples, complicates otherwise beneficial behaviors. Further, I illustrate the long and short term ramifications minority stress has on gay men and lesbian individuals and couples.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- La Trobe University, 2006.
Research. "A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy [to the] School of Public Health, (Australian Research Centre in Sex, health and Society), Faculty of health Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria". Title of digital version: Beyond Choice : Family and Kinship in the Australian lesbian and gay 'baby boom'. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-335). Also available via the World Wide Web.

In society, individuals tend to be socialized into roles that take on characteristics of masculine and feminine. Studies exist on the role strain experienced by heterosexual couples dealing with a life-threatening illness due to this characterization. The scholarly literature lacks studies on the understanding of roles, as well as possible role strain, in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) couples when dealing a life-threatening illness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the role strain experiences of LGBTQ couples who are living with cancer diagnoses of a partner. Biddle's role strain theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. The study included interviewing five LGBTQ couples with a partner having a first-time diagnosis of Stage II or III cancer. Face-to-face, individual, semistructured interviews were used to collect the data, and an open coding method to analyze the data. The themes identified were the significance of fluid roles prior to cancer diagnoses, adjustment to role change, relationship since cancer diagnoses, chosen or determined roles, and society's views of roles. Finding were LGBQT couples roles were chosen or determined based on the task they enjoy or like to do instead of stereotypical view of masculine and feminine. LGBTQ couples did not report experiencing role strain related to assuming additional roles due to their partners' illness. Positive implications for social change resulted from the ability to inform healthcare providers how LGBTQ couples manage when supporting a partner diagnosed with Stage II or Stage III cancer.

Poverty is a widely researched topic in economics. However, despite growing research on the economic lives of lesbians and gay men in the United States since the mid 1990s, very little is known about poverty in same-sex couple households. This study uses American Community Survey data from 2010 to 2014 to calculate poverty rates for households headed by different-sex versus same-sex couples. Comparing households with similar characteristics, the results show that those headed by same-sex couples are more likely to be in poverty than those headed by different-sex married couples. Despite that overall disadvantage, a decomposition of the poverty risk shows that same-sex couples are protected from poverty by their higher levels of education and labor force participation, and their lower probability of having a child in the home. Lastly, the role of gender - above and beyond sexual orientation - is clear in the greater vulnerability to poverty for lesbian couples.

With the aim of increasing practitioner competence, this dissertation provides marriage and family therapists and mental health service providers with insight into the experiences of legally married same-sex couples. Specifically, the inquiry's objective was to elicit narratives of strength and agency from these couples who navigated the oppressive circumstances of an anti-gay amendment campaign situated within the debate over the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples. Fourteen couples were interviewed in order to respond to the dissertation's overriding question: How do the lesbian and gay couples and families who are among those who were legally married in California before the passage of Proposition 8 narrate their experiences of their marriages? Through portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997), a method of inquiry situated within a postmodern, social constructionist framework, a narrative was produced which evolved through five emergent themes: 1) Our Commitments Have Rich Histories -- the symbolic and legal ways in which these couples commemorated and brought definition to their commitments, in the absence of a nationally-sanctioned and collectively-recognized state of legal marriage; 2) Not a Simple Matter: The Complexities of Language Choice -- their contextual language choices, which reflected the absence of representative and collectively-recognized language options for their relationships after their legal marriages; 3) The Battle Metaphor -- the couples' experiences of California's political debate over the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples; 4) Support Shaped Lived Experiences -- the impact of support from friends, family, and community; and lastly, 5) Legal Marriage Shaped Individual, Relational, and Social Identities -- individual, relational and social shifts that occurred for the couples through the experience of being legally married. A follow-up focus group further validated the theme Support Shaped Lived Experiences, and examined more deeply the tensions that occurred when important persons were silent about and/or did not recognize the legitimacy of the couples' legal marriages, and/or the discriminatory context in which their legal marriages were situated. In addition to its contribution of the experiences of legally married same-sex couples to the family therapy literature, the dissertation concludes with important implications for affirmative therapeutic practice, research, education, training, advocacy, and social policy.

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia Jurídica
A literatura existente acerca da violência entre parceiros íntimos é vasta, contudo escassa quando ao fenómeno entre parceiros íntimos do mesmo sexo tanto a nível internacional como nacional. Deste modo, o presente trabalho, teve como finalidade estudar a prevalência da violência e as características associadas ao fenómeno da violência nos casais de gays, lésbicas e bissexuais, tanto no papel de vítimas como de perpetradores, nas relações passadas e presentes, comparando os grupos entre si. Assim sendo, foi recolhida uma amostra online de 74 participantes que se autopercecionaram como sendo gays, lésbicas ou bissexuais. Os gays tinham uma idade compreendida entre 19 e 85 anos (M=29.88; DP= 12.38), as lésbicas entre 21 e 52 anos (M=32.36; DP= 10.32) e os bissexuais entre 20 e 39 anos (M=25.18; DP= 6.27). O instrumento utilizado foi o questionário “Violence and Abuse in Same-Sex Relationships” (Noret & Richards, 2003; tradução efetuada por Domingues, Sani & Soeiro, 2014), através do qual os dados obtidos foram sujeitos a tratamento estatístico, no sentido de dar resposta aos objetivos estabelecidos. Os principais resultados mostram congruência com o que outros estudos internacionais e nacionais têm revelado, ou seja, que a violência no seio dos relacionamentos gays, lésbicos e bissexuais, existe e merece um olhar mais atento no que respeita ao seu combate. Os três grupos revelaram prevalências semelhantes em todas as dimensões analisadas, sendo o tipo de violência mais comum, tanto recebida como praticada, é a violência psicológica/emocional. Curiosamente o comportamento de outing, conduta específica a este tipo de população, foi dos tipos de violência menos referida. Assim esta é uma população que não deve ser esquecida e com a qual se deve trabalhar promovendo políticas de intervenção e prevenção acerca do fenómeno de violência, derrubando os obstáculos encontrados por esta à revelação da problemática.
The existing literature on intimate partner violence is vast, yet scarce about phenomenon of same sex intimate partner. Thus, this work aimed to study the prevalence of violence and violent dynamics in gay couples, lesbians and bisexuals, both in the role of victims and perpetrators in the past and present relationships, comparing the groups with each other. It was taken an online sample of 74 participants who self-perception as being gay, lesbian or bisexual. Gays were aged between 19 and 85 years (M= 29.88, SD= 12:38), lesbians between 21 and 52 years (M= 32.36, SD= 10:32) and bisexuals between 20 and 39 years (M= 25.18; DP = 6.27). The instrument used was the questionnaire "Violence and Abuse in Same-Sex Relationships" (Noret & Richards, 2003; translation made by Domingues, Sani & Soeiro, 2014), in which after a literature review about the implicit concepts, we proceeded to statistical analysis in order to meet the stated objectives. The main results show consistency with international and national studies have revealed, namely that violence within relationships of gays, lesbians and bisexuals exists and worrying rates. The three groups showed similar prevalence in all analyzed dimensions, being the most common type of violence, both received as practiced, psychological/emotional. Interestingly outing behavior, conduct specific to this type of population, was the type of violence least mentioned. So this is a population that should not be overlooked and which should work promoting intervention and prevention policies about the phenomenon of violence, knocking obstacles encountered by the revelation of this problem.

The purpose of this study is to examine domestic violence as it occurs in same-sex male relationships. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with twenty-five gay males, who were between the ages of 23 and 43, and who had previous experience being in a homosexual relationship where domestic violence was present. The major findings of this study include the respondents': 1) definitions of domestic violence and abuse; 2) the type of domestic violence or abuse personally experienced; and 3) reasons they believe domestic violence or abuse occurs in these types of relationships. This study illustrates the need for further research in this area of domestic violence and for programs or services targeted for this specific population.

Planned parenthood within the lesbian and gay communities attracts considerable attention internationally among researchers, the media, and law and policy-makers. This Australian study situates the phenomenon�also known as the �gayby boom��within the contemporary Australian socio-legal setting and the more international historical and political contexts of Gay and Women�s Liberation. It investigates how beliefs about nature, kinship, the sexed and reproductive body and political ideologies of family intersect in lesbians and gay men�s decision-making and stories of living their lives as parents. Two fields of intellectual enquiry are generative: the interest in families of choice and family practices within sociology and the post-modern anthropological critique of Western kinship in the era of assisted reproduction. This is a qualitative study informed by a critical humanist approach. It is based on in-depth and key informant interviews conducted with 20 lesbians and 15 gay men (parents, �donor/dads� and prospective parents) as well as 7 people engaged in legal, health or therapeutic support to prospective and current parents. Also incorporated into the analysis are a range of other primary sources, including a substantial media debate, submissions to an assisted reproduction law reform process and primary documents supplied by participants such as parenting agreements and letters. The study argues for the need to look beyond unitary concepts such as families of choice when theorising lesbian and gay parenthood. It is important to consider the historical, political and biographical conditions that make some notions of relatedness and decisions about having children seem more feasible, and indeed, natural than others. It explores how various notions of biological relatedness remain important in the formation of parent/child relationships, and the extent to which lesbians and gay men rely on strategic appeals to choice and biology in enacting families. Continuing constraints on who is eligible for clinically assisted reproductive technology in Australia lead to imaginative and harmonious, yet also fraught reproductive relationships.

Male couples place the issue of extra??relational sex (ERS) in their committed relationships at various points on a continuum between monogamy and non??monogamy. Further, many couples move about on this continuum over the course of the relationship, according to their changing wishes and desires. Making the right choice or transitioning from one relationship style to another is not always straightforward and unproblematic. Some male couples may benefit from therapeutic support at these crucial times. This research seeks to contribute to knowledge that could inform sensitive and respectful practice on the part of therapists and others who work with the relational concerns of gay men. Using qualitative methodology the research questions explored how gay men negotiate the place of ERS with their partners, the strategies they use to manage ERS, and their beliefs about the effects of their choices on themselves and their relationship. A purposive sample of 24 Sydney gay men (six single and 18 partnered) aged between 22 and 68 participated in the research. Data were collected through semi??structured interviews and subjected to thematic analysis. Despite diverse experiences of ERS, a core set of processes appeared central to relationship satisfaction and function. The knowledge produced by this research provides a number of ways for therapists to orient themselves to the therapeutic terrain of work with gay men and ERS while remaining alive to the unique and particular characteristics of the male couple relationship before them.

Research has indicated that lesbian, gay, and/or bisexual (LGB) couples seek mental health counseling far more than heterosexual couples. Using identity development theory and family-of-choice frameworks, a review of the literature revealed that there are a multitude of considerations in working with LGB couples. The use of self-determination theory and social cognitive theory also uncovered many considerations for counselors and counselors-in-training. The purpose of the current study was to add to the lacking empirical data regarding counselors-in-training by exploring their experiences in working with LGB couples. More specifically, this study aimed to understand perceptions regarding the educational training and self-efficacy of heterosexual-identified counselors-in-training who work with LGB couples. Through the use of a phenomenological interview approach, a purposive sample of seven counselors-in-training shared their experiences of working with LGB couples as well as their perceptions of their education and self-efficacy during their postgraduate work. Data interpretation, through the use of coding and a discovery-oriented approach, uncovered 10 themes that counselors-in-training shared. While the overarching theme was that every couple is to be treated similarly, regardless of sexual orientation, there were also very definite issues that were specific to LGB couples. The study's findings and recommendations can benefit those in the mental health fields as well as educators to continue to work toward consistency in educational programs and accreditation standards. The application of these findings can aid in implementing social change that embrace student and client needs in both classroom settings and hands-on field experience.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
The aim of this study is to describe and analyze contents and discourses about gay families in the Brazilian and American context in order to understand their arrangements and experiences. The theory structure was based on John Bowlby, Donald Winnicott and Elisabeth Badinter’s studies to discuss the parenthood importance in infant and child development as well as a reflection on “the myth of motherhood" and its impact on gay parenting experiences. The methodology was structured involving both quantitative and qualitative methods. Part of the data collection was carried out in Brazil and the other part the United States of America. For the treatment of quantitative data, we used statistical analysis, and for qualitative research, we used the Grounded Theory. The sample of this study was collected in three stages: (i) gathering public opinion through an online questionnaire about samesex marriage, gay families and child development; (ii) gathering the perception of gay families through a closed-interview questions and (iii) gathering the perception of gay families through an in-depth and open-ended interview. The samples of quantitative research were compounded by 1,055 Brazilians and 180 Americans. The qualitative research sample was compounded by 9 American gay families and 11 Brazilian gay families. It was observed in the American and Brazilian context that gay families, in the perception of the participants, have little social acceptance. These results camouflage the prejudice and discrimination of some of the participants who are self-entitled in favor of diversity, but who blame society for the difficulty of acceptance of those families. The (qualitative and quantitative) data crossing opened the door to understanding the dynamic functioning of gay families, which were called the Chameleon Families: adaptations, changes and challenges of gay families. It has been found that there is a functioning permeated by multiple and dynamic processes, fueled by psychological experiences, interrelated and lived by gay families, characterized by stages that require adaptations, changes and constant challenges. Those families commonly adapt and change because they want to have the right to be a family, to display love without being judged, to build their homes and to have children. They want to occupy social spaces without questions about parental capacity, about the child's mother, and the feeling that every child needs to have a woman present to guarantee their safe development. They want to claim their rights for freedom, equality and equity. They want social justice, so they do not have to invest too much in their children’s protection
Nesta tese, objetiva-se descrever e analisar conteúdos e discursos acerca da homoparentalidade masculina, em contexto brasileiro e americano, a fim de compreender as configurações, vivências e experiências dessas famílias. O arcabouço teórico foi construído à luz das teorias de John Bowlby, Donald Winnicott e Elisabeth Badinter, para discutir a importância dos cuidados e da função parental no desenvolvimento de bebês e crianças, além de trazer uma reflexão acerca do “mito do amor materno” e de seu impacto na vivência da homoparentalidade. A trama metodológica que se constituiu envolveu uma parte quantitativa e outra qualitativa. Parte da coleta dos dados foi realizada no Brasil e outra nos Estados Unidos. Para tratamento dos dados quantitativos, utilizou-se a análise estatística e para a pesquisa qualitativa utilizou-se a Grounded Theory. A amostra do estudo foi coletada em três etapas: (i) coleta da opinião pública, através de questionário online acerca do casamento homoafetivo, da família homoparental e do desenvolvimento dos filhos; (ii) coleta da percepção de famílias homoparentais através de entrevista estruturada fechada e (iii) coleta da percepção de famílias homoparentais através de entrevista aberta com profundidade. Participaram da pesquisa quantitativa 1.055 brasileiros e 180 americanos. Já na pesquisa qualitativa participaram 9 famílias homoparentais americanas e 11 famílias homoparentais brasileiras. Observou-se, através dos dados quantitativos, tanto no contexto americano, quanto no contexto brasileiro, que a família homoparental, na percepção dos participantes, apresenta baixa aceitação social. Esses resultados camuflam o preconceito e a discriminação de uma parcela dos participantes que se auto-intitulam a favor da diversidade, mas que culpabilizam a sociedade pela dificuldade de aceitação dessas famílias. O cruzamento dos dados (qualitativos e quantitativos) abriu portas para a compreensão do funcionamento dinâmico da homoparentalidade que foi denominado Famílias Camaleão: adaptações, mudanças e desafios da homoparentalidade. Descobriu-se que há um funcionamento permeado por processos múltiplos e dinâmicos, abastecidos por experiências psicológicas, inter-relacionadas e vivenciadas pelas famílias homoparentais, caracterizada por estágios e fases que requerem adaptações, mudanças e desafios constantes. Essas famílias comumente se adaptam e mudam, porque querem ter o direito de ser família, de endereçar o amor sem julgamentos, de construir seus lares e de ter filhos. Querem ocupar os espaços sociais sem os questionamentos sobre a capacidade parental, sobre a mãe da criança e sobre a necessidade de ter a presença de uma mulher para que a criança se desenvolva. Querem gozar e usufruir de direitos que garantam liberdade, igualdade e equidade. Querem uma sociedade mais justa, para não ter que investir demasiadamente na proteção de seus filhos

　　　1 January 2010 was a milestone for the survivors and victims of same-sex domestic violence in Hong Kong. After a hard fought legislative battle, the Domestic and Cohabitation Relationships Violence Ordinance (DCRVO) was extended to cover cohabitation relationships irrespective of sexual orientation. 　　　With the inclusion of same-sex cohabitants in the legislation, gay survivors are provided the same legal protection as different sex couples. It is believed that equality has been achieved for gay victims, in theory at least. Indeed, the topic of same-sex domestic violence seemed to vanish from the public sphere as soon as the Ordinance was enacted. Nevertheless, considering the cultural and social obstacles experienced by gay victims of domestic violence, e.g. social perception of homosexuality and the fear of being ‘outed’ by reporting the incidents, coupled with a lack of supplementary support services available to people with alternative sexual orientations, it is uncertain how effective this amendment will be to Hong Kong sexual minorities in practice. Therefore, the primary research question for this thesis is to what extent the DCRVO is effective in protecting in practice. 　　　This research question will be answered by a combination of qualitative and quantitative empirical research methods. This paper focuses on three areas particularly - the awareness amongst the gay community in Hong Kong of the legislation; the availability of same-sex domestic violence support services; and the subsequent complementary policies provided by the government. This study argues that without adequate complementary policies, the DCRVO will always remain to be a piece of work in progress, and not the ultimate solution for gay victims in Hong Kong.
published_or_final_version
Law
Master
Master of Philosophy

Thesis (MA)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concept of what constitutes a “normal” family has changed within recent years. This is because various family forms have been found viable. The current study is exploratory and focuses on the planned lesbian family. It aims to describe lesbian mothers’ lived psychological experience of planned motherhood. Utilising a feminist phenomenological approach, the narratives of 10 lesbian couples were obtained. Their emotional experiences are discussed under four headings, namely; the decision to become mothers; the actual process of becoming mothers; motherhood experience; and the anticipation of and actual responses to lesbian motherhood, lesbian families and children of lesbian mothers. Significant findings reveal the decision making involved in becoming mothers; the influence the type of donor has on the couple and their child; the joys and challenges of raising children; the fair division of childcare and household chores; the importance of partner support; the level of bonding with social and adoptive mothers; society’s lack of parental validation; the issue of homophobia and the preparation of their children against homophobia. Lesbian mothers seem to experience motherhood in very similar ways to heterosexual mothers, except that they do not seem as lonely and isolated. The aim of this study was not only to explore the experiences of lesbian mothers, but also to give them a voice within the psychological literature and to strive towards the acceptance of diverse families within mainstream psychology and the broader South African community.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die konsep van wat ’n “normale“ familie behels het in die afgelope jare verander. Die rede is dat verskeie gesinsvorme as lewensvatbaar bevind is. Die gesinsvorm onder bestudering is die beplande lesbiese gesin. Hierdie was ’n verkennende studie wat gefokus het op die beskrywing van lesbiese ouers se sielkundige ervaring van beplande lesbiese moederskap. Daar is gebruik gemaak van ’n feministies-fenomenologiese benadering om die verhale van 10 lesbiese paartjies te verkry. Hulle ervarings word onder vier adelings bespreek, naamlik; die besluit om moeders te word; die werklike proses om moeders te word; moederskap ervarings; en die verwagte en werklike reaksies tot lesbiese moederskap van lesbiese families en kinders van lesbiese moeders. Noemenswaardige bevindings onthul die besluitneming betrokke om moeders te word; die invloed wat die tipe skenker op die paartjie en hulle kind het; die vreugde en vereistes van kinders grootmaak; die regverdige verdeling van kindersorg en huishoudelike take; die belangrikheid van lewensmaat ondersteuning; die krag van kinders se band met sosiale en aangenome moeders; die samelewing se tekort aan ouerlike bekragtiging; die kwessie van homofobie en die voorbereiding van hulle kinders hierteen. Dit wil voorkom of lesbiese moeders moeders in baie opsigte dieselfde ervaar as heteroseksuele moeders, behalwe dat hulle nie so alleen en geïsoleerd voorkom nie. Die studie se voorneme was nie net om die ervarings van lesbiese moeders te verken nie, maar ook om aan hulle ’n stem te bied binne die sielkundige literatuur en om te streef na die aanvaarding van uiteenlopende gesinsvorme binne hoofstroom sielkunde asook die breër Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Este trabalho tem como propósito estudar a queerness de relacionamentos entre mulheres heterossexuais e homens gays no romance A Home at the End of the World, de Michael Cunningham, e no seriado de televisão Will & Grace. O objetivo é analisar tais relacionamentos do ponto de vista das personagens femininas principais Clare e Grace, respectivamente , comparando e contrastando os textos literário e televisual. A dissertação fundamenta-se nos conceitos teórico-metodológicos da teoria queer, nos quais se baseia a análise das personagens e de seus relacionamentos. Contudo, à medida que estabelece um diálogo entre um romance e um programa televisual, foi adicionado um capítulo sobre teoria da televisão. Além de fornecer uma visão geral sobre tal teoria, o capítulo mostrou-se relevante na discussão de Will & Grace. Por meio do estudo mais aprofundado da teoria queer percebe-se que queerness, ao invés de uma identidade fixa, pode ser mais bem compreendida como uma atitude de resistência às normas sociais heteropatriarcais. Portanto, apesar das aspirações convencionais de Grace e Clare, ambas agem de forma queer em várias situações, provando que queerness é um posicionamento que todos podem assumir; até mesmo os heterossexuais
The purpose of this work is to study the queerness of relationships between straight women and gay men in Michael Cunninghams novel A Home at the End of the World and in the TV sitcom Will & Grace. The intention is to analyze such relationships from the point-of-view of the main female characters Clare and Grace, respectively , comparing and contrasting the literary and televisual texts. The theoretical-methodological core of this thesis lies on the concepts of queer theory, based on which the characters and their relationships have been analyzed. However, as it establishes a dialog between a literary work and a TV show, a theoretical chapter on television theory has been added. While providing an overview of television theory, this chapter has also been really relevant in the discussion of Will & Grace. Through a deeper study of queer theory, one realizes that queerness, instead of a fixed identity, may be better understood as an attitude of resistance to heteropatriarchal social rules. Therefore, in spite of Graces and Clares conventional aspirations, they both act queerly in several situations, proving that queerness is a positionality which everyone may assume; even straight people

Same-sex couples are affected by the social and political climates in which they live, as these create the difference between acceptance and legalization, and discrimination and prohibition, of their relationships. This contingence is made increasingly impactful by the privileges and protections afforded to married couples by the federal government; same-sex couples, along with other couples that choose not to, or cannot, marry, are excluded from these benefits. Following the June 26, 2013 ruling that Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, was unconstitutional, same-sex couples were given access to over 1,100 federal protections and benefits and supported legally for the first time. My research explored the lived experiences of same-sex couples following this milestone in order to develop an understanding of the psychological and relational effects of the DOMA repeal on same-sex couples. This understanding may assist therapists working with these couples by increasing comprehension of their context and the effects of the DOMA repeal on their internal and relationship functioning. By understanding these aspects, therapists may work more capably and sensitively with same-sex couples, and be more informed regarding potential problems these clients may bring to therapy. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed in order to gather comprehensive data on the topic, utilize the strengths of both methodologies, and enhance the results of each method with the other. A single instrument, an online survey, was utilized. The quantitative paradigm provided numerical data on the experiences of same-sex couples following the DOMA repeal, as well as differences in experiences based on variance in state laws. Under the qualitative paradigm, phenomenological methodology was utilized to explore and convey participants' experience of the repeal in their own words. Responses were collected via survey to allow for more anonymity for participants, as well as a more representative sample of same-sex couples across the country. Qualitative and quantitative questions were included on the survey; responses were analyzed separately, and then merged during interpretation. Implications for clinical practice derived from this study are reviewed, as well as implications for advocacy work and directions for further research. It is hoped that this study will provide a better understanding of same-sex couples' lived experiences following the repeal of DOMA's Section Three, and provide implications for therapists working with these couples.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Marriage is regarded as one of the most important and universal cultural symbols of belonging, and incorporates a range of privileges that can be acquired in no other way. It is where relationships of desire, politics and economics are fused into personal and public rituals of socially sanctioned connection and inclusion. Yet it draws new boundaries of social inclusion and exclusion or stigmatisation. In this thesis I use narrative inquiry to investigate how seventeen Capetonian queer couples in committed relationships perceive and experience same-sex marriage, and ask whether the Civil Union Act has given them a greater sense of belonging. Sexuality is deeply politicised through gendered disciplinary regimes that impinge on people’s emotional and intimate lives. Sexual politics in South Africa today emerge from a complex history of the sycretisation of widely varying cultural and political discourses, beliefs and practices wrought through colonialism and post-colonial recuperation. The formal protection of lgbti-q identities in the post-apartheid South African Constitution is the outcome of strategic struggles for lgbti-q recognition as human rights. However, formal rights do not necessarily lead to social inclusion as they may not reflect extant cultural values, hence I use the thicker concept of ‘belonging’ as developed by Yuval-Davis to analyse everyday inclusion—a concept which enables me to understand ‘privatised’ and affective dimensions of citizenship shaped by contexts of care and interpersonal intimacy. Worldwide, marriage has long been a central institution in how societies regulate their social and physical reproduction; but marriage also confers privileges which can be accessed in no other way. As in the West, marriage equality was a key aim for lgbti-q struggles in South Africa. But feminists have critiqued marriage as an institution of gendered hierarchy and a site of profound oppression for women. It is at the centre of the private|public dichotomy, and symbolic of women’s differentiated citizenship through, inter alia, the ideology of ‘women as property’. Hence same-sex marriage is deeply politicised in how it upholds or challenges heteropatriarchy. By looking at how a diverse range of same-sex couples in committed relationships perceive and experience same-sex marriage in South Africa, I unravel the ambiguities and contradictions of marriage as a project of belonging for lesbians and gays. Marriage as a sexual politics of belonging is about how lesbian and gay citizens experience equality and dignity in their everyday lives—recognition of them as citizen-subjects, protection of their intimate relationships as well as their struggles for belonging. I engage with the complex outcomes of colonial conquest and post-colonial recuperation on African sexual identities, before turning to an understanding of queer citizenship. I show how belonging is a much thicker concept than citizenship because it accesses our affective relationships. I proceed to use Nira Yuval-Davis’s framework for analysing belonging. She divides belonging into two streams: facets of belonging relating to identities, social locations and political and ethical values; and a politics of belonging. Struggles for belonging are waged around boundaries of inclusions and exclusions, and only become visible when belonging is contested. Projects for belonging are complex and multi-layered negotiations around the boundaries of belonging. Using narrative inquiry, I present the stories of seventeen couples and six key informants to fashion a narrative about same-sex marriage as a project of belonging. I asked them about coming out, and how they met their partners. They also told me about their relationships with children and significant others. We talked about their perceptions and experiences of same-sex marriage, and their views of the Constitution and Civil Union Act. I also asked about their sense of safety as queers and what they thought needed to be done to help queers belong (more). The participants’ most significant sense of belonging derived from having their rights protected in the Constitution. Their sense of entitlement to be who they are, was the outcome of powerful struggles for recognition. The various couples had been in committed relationships for between 8 and 52 years. Some had made use of the immigration status of same-sex partners to be together, which meant they were instantly thrown into ‘marriage’-like situations. Some didn’t want to get married, but 10 couples were married. Except for two couples, all the couples who got married did it primarily for the tangible benefits associated with marriage: through marriage they established formal kinship relationships linked to property and commitment to care. They were generally not interested in the cultural trappings of ‘weddings’, and had modest and quiet ceremonies. All the married couples affirmed that the Act had given them a greater sense of belonging. While all the participants valued formal recognition through the Constitution, the lack of substantive equality needed to be addressed to ensure future belonging for lgbti-q. I concluded that same-sex marriages are powerful social institutions, capable of either upholding heteropatriarchies through homonormative performances, but also capable of subversions. A foundational challenge comes through disrupting the ‘women as property’ exchange embedded in most marital traditions.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huwelik word beskou as een van die belangrikste en algemeenste kulturele simbole van samesyn, en behels ’n reeks voordele wat op geen ander manier toeganklik is nie. Die huwelik is die kern waar begeerte, politiek en ekonomie verenig in persoonlike en openbare instellings van gemeenskaplike aanvaarding en verbinding. Terselfdertyd teken dit ook nuwe grense van sosiale insluiting, uitsluiting of stigmatisering. In hierdie tesis ondersoek ek wat sewentien Kaapse queer paartjies in vaste verhoudings dink van gay huwelike en hoe hulle dit ondervind, en ek vra of die Civil Union Act hulle meer samesyn (belonging) laat voel. Seksualiteit is uiters polities omdat dissiplinêre sisteme mense se emosionele en intieme lewes reguleer. Seksuele politiek in die huidige Suid-Afrika spruit uit ’n gekompliseerde geskiedenis van ’n samevloeiing van verkillende kulturele en politiese diskoerse, gelowe en praktyke van kolonialisme en post-kolonialistiese herstel. Die formele beskerming van lgbti-q identiteite in die post-apartheid Grondwet van Suid-Afrika, is die uitkomste van strategiese stryde vir lgbti-q herkenning as menseregte. Nogtans het formele regte nie noodwendig gelei tot sosiale insluiting omdat hulle nie die bestaande kulturele waardes weerspieël nie, daarom gebruik ek die konsep van ‘samesyn’ soos ontwikkel deur Yuval-Davis om alledaagse insluiting te ontleed—’n konsep wat my in staat stel om die ‘private’ en emosionele dimensies van burgerskap, die kontekste van sorg en interpersoonlike intimiteit, te verstaan. Wêreldswyd is die huwelik ’n kerninstelling in die regulering van sosiale en fisiese voortplanting in gemeenskappe. Maar die huwelik verleen ook voorregte wat op geen ander manier verkrygbaar is nie. Soos in die Weste, is huweliks-gelykheid ’n sleutelpunt in stryde vir lgbti-q erkenning in Suid-Afrika. Maar feministe het kritiek gelewer teen die huwelik omdat hulle glo dis ’n terrein vir die instelling van geslagshiërargie en diepgaande onderdrukking van vroue. Dit is die spilpunt waarom die verdeling tussen privaat | openbaar draai, en is simbolies van vroue se gedifferensieerde burgerskap deur, onder andere, die ideologie van ‘vroue as besittings’. Dus is gay huwelike polities ingewortel in hoe hulle heteropatriargie onderskraag of aanvat. Deur te kyk hoe etlike Suid-Afrikaanse paartjies van dieselfde geslag hulle toegewyde verhoudings beskou en ondervind, ontrafel ek die raaisels en dubbelsinnighede van gay huwelike as ’n projek van samesyn vir lesbiërs en gays. Die huwelik as seksuele politiek van samesyn is hoe lesbiese en gay burgers in die alledaagse lewe hulle gelykheid en menswaardigheid beleef—dat hulle as burgers erken word, en dat hulle intieme verhoudings sowel as hulle stryde vir samesyn gekoester word. Ek ontrafel die kompleksiteit van Afrikane se seksualiteite deur die gevolge van koloniale verowering en post-koloniale herwinning aan te pak, voor ek na queer burgerskap kyk. Ek bewys dat samesyn ’n meer betekenisvolle begrip is as burgerskap omdat dit ook ons emosionele verhoudings kan aanspreek. Ek gebruik Nira Yuval-Davis se raamwerk vir die ontleding van samesyn. Sy deel dit in twee strome: fasette van samesyn verbonde aan identiteite, sosiale stand en politieke en etiese waardes; en die politiek van samesyn. Stryde oor samesyn word rondom grense van insluiting en uitsluiting gevoer, en word slegs sigbaar wanneer samesyn bevraagteken word. Projekte vir samesyn is ingewikkeld met veelvoudige onderhandelings rondom grense van in— of uitsluiting. Ek gebruik verhaalontleding om die stories van sewentien paartjies en ses sleutelinformante te omskep in ’n vertelling omtrent gay huwelike as ’n projek van samesyn. Ek het hulle gevra oor hoe hulle “uit die kas geklim” het, en hoe hulle hulle minnaars ontmoet het. Hulle het my ook vertel van hulle verhoudings met hulle kinders en belangrike mense in hulle lewens. Ons het gepraat oor hulle sienswyses oor, en ondervindings van, gay huwelike, en hulle sienings oor die Grondwet en Civil Union Act. Ek het ook uitgevra omtrent hoe veilig hulle voel as queers, en wat hulle dink gedoen moet word sodat queers (meer) samesyn kan ondervind. Die deelnemers se grootse gevoel van samesyn was as gevolg van hulle regte wat gekoester word deur die Grondwet. Hulle gevoel van geregtigheid om te wees wie hulle is, het gespruit uit ’n kragtige stryd vir erkenning. Die verskillende paartjies was tussen 8 en 52 jaar lank in vaste verhoudings. Party het gebruik gemaak van die immigrasie wetgewing vir gay minnaars om saam te bly, wat beteken het dat hulle hulle summier in ‘huwelik’-soortige verhoudings bevind het. Party wou nie trou nie, maar 10 paartjies het getrou. Behalwe twee paartjies, het al die paartjies gesê hulle het hoofsaaklik getrou om die tasbare voordele van huwelike te geniet: deur huwelike kon hulle formele verwantskappe skep met besittings en verpligtings tot sorg. Hulle was oor die algemeen nie geïnteresseerd in die kulturele vertoon van troues nie, en het beskeie en stil seremonies gehou. Al die getroude paartjies het gesê dat die Civil Union Act hulle ’n groter gevoel van samesyn gebring het. Alhoewel al die deelnemers die amptelike erkenning van die Grondwet waardeer het, het hulle gesê dat die gebrekkigheid aan substantiewe gelykheid aangespreek moet word om toekomstige samesyn vir gays te verseker. Ek het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gay huwelike kragtige gemeenskaplike instellings is wat heteropatriargieë kan onderskraag deur homonormatiewe gedrag, maar dat hulle ook ondermynend kan wees. ’n Fundamentele uitdaging is die moontlike ontwrigting van ‘vroue as besittings’ onderhandelings wat in meeste huwelikstradisies vasgelê is.

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The homoparental family is one of the forms of family that, in postmodern society, has increased and gained more visibility. However, it still experiences prejudice, and homoparental competence to raise children and the possible compromising of their affective and sexual development are reasons for doubt and discussions. This research aimed to understand how couples who define themselves as homoaffective, that is, couples of gays and lesbians who maintain a stable relationship, experience the daily family life and the exercise of parenthood. The qualitative methodology was used, and the interpretation of the participants’ narratives was based on the hermeneutics of Ricoeur, seeking the co-construction of meaning in the dialogue with the researcher. Three couples of lesbians and three couples of gays participated in the study, totaling 12 people who defined themselves as homoaffective, in stable marital relationships and that had children. The discourses were obtained through dialogical interviews, recorded and transcribed, from which thematic analysis emerged categories and subcategories that allowed to understand that: the motivation to start a family is based on the belief that it is necessary and desirable, bringing a sense of social belonging, especially through children; the sense of family is not tied to its configuration, nor to the parents sexual orientation, but to what is lived in it; the way relationships are built; parenting is prioritized as well as the provision of the children’s needs; according to those parents, children give the family a positive meaning way showed by daily life, according to what they see in everyday life, and this valorization helps in the confrontation of social prejudice; the possibility of those parents being influences in the definition of the future sexual orientation of the children is shifted to other figures of the family, their relationships or the community; domestic activities are divided according to availability and exclude the gender criterion; parental competence is not defined by the parents gender (father or mother), however, they understand that, for society, lesbians are more apt and competent in raising children; homoconjugality was the object of prejudice coming from the families of origin, however, homoparentality minimized it; children were the sources of approximation between homoparental family and family of origin since they made possible the amplification of the kinship ties and favored the assumption of new positions/identities as grandparents, uncles and cousins. In the social environment and at school, there were some experiences of acceptance, but also of both explicit and veiled prejudices; the same was true for the judiciary. It was possible to observe that, although they do not always admit or perceive, the partners in several situations reproduce almost compulsorily the heteronormativity, which runs counter to the idea that there is something specific in the exercise of homoparentality due to the sexual orientation of the parents
A família homoparental é uma das formas de família que, na sociedade pós-moderna, tem aumentado e ganhado mais visibilidade. Porém, ainda vivencia preconceito, sendo a competência homoparental para criar os filhos e o possível comprometimento no desenvolvimento afetivo e sexual deles motivos de dúvida e discussões. Esta pesquisa objetivou compreender como casais que se autodefinem como homoafetivos, isto é, casais de gays e lésbicas que mantêm relação estável, vivenciam o cotidiano da vida familiar e o exercício da parentalidade. A metodologia qualitativa foi utilizada, e a interpretação das narrativas dos participantes baseou-se na hermenêutica de Ricoeur, buscando a coconstrução de sentido no diálogo com o pesquisador. Participaram da pesquisa três casais de lésbicas e três casais de gays, totalizando 12 pessoas que se autodefiniram como homoafetivas, mantinham relação conjugal estável e possuíam filhos (as). Os discursos foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas dialógicas, gravadas e transcritas, de cuja análise temática emergiram categorias e subcategorias que permitiram compreender que a motivação de constituir família funda-se na crença de que ela é necessária e desejável, trazendo um senso de pertencimento social, sobretudo por meio de filhos(as); o sentido de família não está atrelado à sua configuração, nem à orientação sexual dos pais, e, sim, ao que nela se vive; o modo como se constroem as relações; a parentalidade é priorizada, assim como a provisão das necessidades dos(as) filhos(as); segundo tais pais/mães, os(as) filhos(as) dão à família um significado positivo de acordo com o que constatam na vivência cotidiana, e essa valorização ajuda no enfrentamento do preconceito social; a possibilidade de esses pais/mães serem fontes influenciadoras na definição da futura orientação sexual dos(as) filhos(as) é descartada, e o suprimento da falta da figura do outro gênero é deslocada para outras figuras da família, das suas relações ou da comunidade; as atividades domésticas são divididas conforme a disponibilidade e exclui o critério de gênero; a competência parental não é definida pelo gênero dos pais (pai ou mãe), porém, entendem que, para a sociedade, as lésbicas são mais aptas e competentes na criação de filhos; a homoconjugalidade foi alvo de preconceito por parte das famílias de origem, porém, a homoparentalidade o minimizou; os(as) filhos(as) foram fontes de aproximação entre família homoparental e família de origem, na medida em que possibilitaram a ampliação dos laços de parentesco e favoreceram a assunção de novas posições/identidades como avós, tios e primos. No meio social e na escola, houve algumas experiências de acolhimento, mas também de preconceitos tanto explícitos como velados; o mesmo se deu em relação ao judiciário. Foi possível observar que, embora nem sempre admitam ou percebam, os (as) parceiros (as) em várias situações reproduzem quase compulsoriamente a heteronormatividade, o que contraria a ideia de que há algo específico no exercício da homoparentalidade devido à orientação sexual dos pais e mães

Cette thèse de doctorat étudie les mouvements LGBT en Belgique, en France et en Espagne à travers une double comparaison (entre les cas et à travers le temps) qui intègre également les échanges et influences transnationaux et internationaux. Elle examine l’émergence et le développement de la revendication d’ouverture du mariage civil aux couples de même sexe dans ces pays, analysant les convergences en termes de contenu des demandes et de timing des mobilisations. Par conséquent, elle porte sur des convergences au niveau des mouvements sociaux, à l’inverse de la majeure partie de la littérature, qui se concentre sur les convergences de politiques publiques. Cette situation impose de construire une grille d’analyse basée sur la littérature sur les mouvements sociaux, les politiques publiques et les relations internationales (influence des normes internationales). Le développement des revendications relatives au droit au mariage a été retracé de manière généalogique depuis la fin des années 1980. La comparaison repose sur la méthode du most different systems design et un travail empirique important combinant analyse documentaire et entretiens a été réalisé. Cette thèse confirme l’importance de l’étude des échanges et des influences internationaux et transnationaux pour comprendre la politique domestique et insiste sur l’influence cruciale du réseautage transnational sur les revendications des mouvements sociaux. Elle révèle aussi quelques cas de diffusion entre mouvements sociaux et montre comment des caractéristiques et des contraintes communes peuvent inciter les mouvements sociaux à formuler des revendications similaires. Par ailleurs, les discours en faveur du droit au mariage ont été analysés avec soin. L’émergence de cette revendication a aussi été mise en perspective sur le plan historique, ce qui implique de réfléchir aux modalités de transformation des mouvements LGBT au cours des trente dernières années. Pour terminer, la notion de citoyenneté sexuelle a été interrogée et la manière dont l’accès à la citoyenneté a été posé a été examinée à partir du concept de resignification proposé par Judith Butler.

This dissertation looks at LGBT movements in Belgium, France and Spain through a double comparison (between cases and through time), which also takes into account transnational and international exchanges and influences. It investigates the simultaneous emergence and development of same-sex marriage claims in these countries, examining convergences in the content of the claims and the timing of protest. Therefore, it looks at convergences at the level of social movements, unlike most of the literature, which focuses on convergences in public policies. This specific research interests implies building an analytical model based on the literature on social movements, public policies and international relations (influence of international norms). It has also required a genealogical account of the development of same-sex marriage claims in each country from the end of the eighties until now. The comparison is based on the most different systems design method, and an extensive field work combining archives analysis and interviews has been carried out. This dissertation confirms the importance of taking into account international and transnational exchanges and influences to understand domestic politics, and insists on the crucial influence of transnational networking on social movements claims. It also discloses some cases of diffusion between social movements and shows how common characteristics and constraints may induce social movements to make similar but independent decisions. Discourses in favour of same-sex marriage have been carefully analysed, and the emergence of this claim has been put into a historical perspective. This implies a reflection on the transformations of the LGBT movement over the last thirty years. Finally, this dissertation interrogates the notion of sexual citizenship and examines the specific mechanisms through which access to citizenship has been proposed, discussing Judith Butler’s concept of resignification.

Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Cette these met en forme et justifie des resultats obtenus lors d'une etude entreprise grace a gdf, l'afme et la societe solaronics. Le projet vise a concevoir un nouvel emetteur infra-rouge a l'aide d'un logiciel predictif qui est mis au point sur un bruleur existant. Cet emetteur a pour element essentiel une plaquette ceramique traversee par des trous. Ceux-ci debouchent dans des alveoles pyramidales, ou se produit une combustion. Les gaz brules sortant traversent ensuite une grille metallique. L'energie des microflammes assure, outre le prechauffage du melange combustible, le rayonnement de la plaquette et de la grille. Ceci conduit a des couplages d'echanges thermiques complexes mettant en jeu rayonnement, convection et conduction. Les echanges convectifs et la combustion sont couples au rayonnement et a la conduction par l'etablissement d'un maillage en differences finies. Une modelisation globale des phenomenes d'echanges thermiques couples a ete realisee progressivement et recalee avec l'experience. Un traitement d'images s'est revele d'une aide precieuse pour valider le modele de la flamme

The Australian study is the first to provide evidence for couples intervention via videoconferencing as a viable alternative to face-to-face. Thirty couples were randomly assigned to either a face-to-face, or videoconferencing condition, and completed a couples behavioural education program. Through qualitative analysis several themes were identified, reflecting open-mindedness, acceptance, satisfaction, and the establishment of a strong working alliance. Statistical analysis further supported these finding, showing no significant effect of the technology, and positive clinical outcomes.

Research on intimate partner violence and abuse in same-sex couple’s relationships is still a relatively new area of interest. Given the silence surrounding this form of abuse within the field, there is much to be learned by research focusing on its meaning. This research study examined violence and abuse in the couple’s relationships of gay men from a British perspective. The study is located within a phenomenological approach, designed to capture the essence of the individual’s experience. The choice of a grounded theory approach for the analysis of the data rested on it being particularly helpful in generating theory in areas where this is lacking. However, the challenge of recruiting participants to the study limited the utility of the method, highlighting the ongoing difficulty of gaining access to sexual minority participants for studies involving sensitive issues. Eight participants, all gay men, were recruited and semi-structured interviews administered as a basis for generating data. A focus group discussion also formed part of the study and considered the question of whether same-sex partner abuse is the same or different from that seen in heterosexual couple’s relationships. Findings suggest that love for one’s partner, hope for change and quality of sex, accounted for the ongoing investment made by these men in their violent and abusive relationships. The emphasis on physical abuse diminished the importance of other forms of abuse, i.e. emotional, psychological and financial abuse. The direction of the abuse was in contrast to that seen in heterosexual relationships, i.e. the partner with most instrumental power, was the one most at risk of abuse. There was little 5 recognition of the impact of homophobia or internalized homophobia as possible contributory factors in the development of violence and abuse. Participants tended to rely on their own resources rather than seeking outside help and the clinical implications of this were considered.

The resolution of differential equations of diverse degree of complexity is necessary to simulate the phenomena present in the complex turbomachinery flows and in particular, requires accounting for unsteady effects that may have a preponderant role. Today, only the LES (Large Eddy Simulation) fully compressible approach has the required accuracy to predict the physics associated to reactive and turbulent flows in such complex geometries. This work covers the numerical modelling of physics in the near-wall region of a high-pressure turbine blade with special focus on thermal predictions. This work was supported by the European project COPA-GT, dedicated to the numerical multi-physics simulation of a complete gas turbine.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2015.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-240).
Scarce pipeline capacity in regions that rely on natural gas technologies for electricity generation has created volatile prices and reliability concerns. Gas-fired generation firms uniquely operate as large consumers in the gas market and large producers in the electricity market. To explore the effects of this coupling, this dissertation investigates decisions for firms that own gas-fired power plants by proposing a mixed-integer linear programming model that explicitly represents multi-year pipeline capacity commit- ments and service agreements, annual forward capacity offers, annual maintenance schedules, and daily fuel purchases and electricity generation. This dissertation's primary contributions consist of a detailed representation of a gas-fired power-plant owner's planning problem; a hierarchical application of a state-based dimensionality reduction technique to solve the hourly unit commitment problem over different tem- poral scales; a technique to evaluate a firm's forward capacity market offer, including a probabilistic approach to evaluate the risk of forced outages; a case study of New England's gas-electricity system; and an exploration of the applicability of forward capacity markets to reliability problems for other basic goods.
by Tommy Leung.
Ph. D.

The last few years, much research is aimed at using light as an information carrier in systems. Photonic crystals are materials with varying dielectric properties, designed to interact with photons. If these crystals are arranged in a periodic structure they can control the propagation of electromagnetic waves through the structure. Photonic Band Gap (PBG) crystal is a periodic structure that prohibits propagation of all electromagnetic waves within a particular frequency band. Original PBG research was done in the optical region, but PBG properties are scaleable and applicable to a wide range of frequencies. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in microwave and millimeter-wave applications of PBG structures. Currently, research has also extended to Metallodielectric Electromagnetic Band Gap structures (MEBG), which are replacing the photonic crystals. MEBG structures are composed of periodic metallic elements usually printed in a dielectric region. The research effort in this thesis concentrates on the analysis, modelling and practical implementation of a novel concept called CCMEBG.