Date of Award
1-2011
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Mary Z. Anderson
Abstract
Spiritual development is a critical task for college students, but there is a paucity of information about how college students understand the construct of spirituality. Historically, organized religion has been oppressive to the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community. Furthermore, little is known about the spiritual understandings and spiritual experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students. This quantitative investigation sought to understand the underlying dimensions of spirituality for Caucasian LGB college students through the use of multidimensional scaling. Sixty Caucasian LGB college students were recruited through purposeful and snowball sampling. Findings indicate three dimensions of spirituality for this sample: connection with goodness, the process of seeking (both internal and external), and the process of discovery. Given that this investigation is the first to explore these dimensions, implications for future research are vast.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
McGrady, Michele L., "Understanding the Dimensions of Spirituality in Caucasian Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual College Students" (2011). Dissertations. 436.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/436