High School Religious Context And Reports Of Same Sex...

The study High School Religious Context and Reports of Same-Sex Attraction and Sexual Identity in Young Adulthood by Lindsey Wilkinson and Jennifer Pearson focuses on understanding the association between high school religious setting in adolescence and the reporting of same-sex attraction and sexual identity in young adulthood and how these relations vary by gender. Unlike previous studies that have considered how high school contexts shape the well-being of sexual youth, few have examined the extent to which these contexts shape sexual desire and identity. Schools are important social environments in which to examine the social construct of sexual desire and identity, as they are socializing organizations in which adolescents struggle to†¦show more content†¦Sexual scripts can be understood as ‘‘sets of socio-cultural expectations’’ through which individuals learn patterns of sexual conduct that are appropriate. Heteronormativity proclaims that h eterosexuality is the only sexual orientation, and also states that sexual and marital relations are most (or only) fitting between people of opposite sexes. Therefore, adolescents in highly religious schools or backgrounds may not consider or may actively avoid accepting a lesbian or gay identity. There other alternative is that an adolescent that may identify as lesbian or gay may connect them with a community that can help and provide strength and support in coping with the shame and stigma that may come along with the identity. This study had three research questions Research Question 1: What is the association between high school religious context and reports of same-sex attraction in young adulthood? Research Question 2: What is the association between high school religious context and reports of sexual identity in young adulthood? Research Question 3: Is one aspect of school religious context a stronger predictor of same-sex sexuality relative to the others? They expected that adolescents who attended high schools with higher levels of religious attendance, fundamentalism, and Protestant affiliation will be less likely to report experiencing same-sex attraction and less likely to identify as lesbian-gay or bisexual-flexible, compared