Creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBT+ students in Higher Education: a mixed-method investigation of LGBT+ campus climates in the United Kingdom and Philippines

Evangelista, Zyra M. (2023) Creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBT+ students in Higher Education: a mixed-method investigation of LGBT+ campus climates in the United Kingdom and Philippines. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Global developments in LGBT+ equality legislation suggest a positive shift in socio-political attitudes toward LGBT+ people. However, institutional structures perpetuating systemic prejudice and inequalities based on sexual orientation and gender identity persist. Using an interdisciplinary, multi-phased, mixed-method approach, this thesis investigates the state of Higher Education for LGBT+ students in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Philippines (PH). Phase 1 involved a quantitative assessment of physical LGBT+ campus climates across 24 UK and 18 PH universities. Using a large-scale online survey, it examined students’ attitudes toward LGBT+, campus climate perceptions, experiences, and outcomes (LGBT+ = 469 [UK], 408 [PH]); cis-heterosexual = 960 [UK], 1,147 [PH]). Phase 2 complemented this with focus groups and interviews qualitatively exploring 17 UK and 18 PH LGBT+ students’ lived experiences of physical campus climates across seven UK and six PH universities. Phase 3 culminates this thesis with a general assessment of digital LGBT+ campus climates in the UK and PH. Through content analysis of 116 UK and PH university-related webpages, it evaluated the existence and visibility of LGBT+ support infrastructures across four purposively selected UK and PH universities. Findings from all three phases emphasise the need to improve LGBT+ campus climates in the face of both overt and subtle manifestations of anti-LGBT+ prejudice. Importantly, triangulated results indicate the importance of fostering LGBT+ students’ social identity belonging as a key pathway for creating better campus climates and addressing LGBT+ inequalities.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: This work was supported by a Newton Fund PhD Grant (ID 332415646) under the Newton-Agham partnership. The grant is funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Philippine Commission on Higher Education and delivered by the British Council.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology; L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
• Colleges/Schools: College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology
• Supervisor's Name: Lido, Professor Catherine, Swingler, Dr. Maxine and Bohan, Dr. Jason
• Date of Award: 2023
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2023-84030
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 10 Jan 2024 15:11
• Last Modified: 12 Jan 2024 16:11
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.84030
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84030