Breaking Down the "Walls of a Façade": The Influence of Compartmentalization on Gay College Males' Meaning-Making

Abstract

This study examined how the act of compartmentalization influenced gay male college students’ meaning-making of their multiple identities. This study, involving 17 males attending colleges in Southern California, explored how these students compartmentalized their identities within different cultures, including race, religion, and socioeconomic class, as well as in different student cultures, such as fraternities and student organizations. The findings of this constructivist grounded theory study illuminate how compartmentalization of one’s identity is seen at the individual, group, and systemic levels within society to help and hinder these gay males’ holistic sense of self. Additionally, implications for professional practice and research are offered to assist gay males in college toward integrative approaches to one’s identity.