Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Constituting the Invisible : An Examination of the Social Construction and Communication of Female Bisexual Identity

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  • Bisexual females experience unique forms of discrimination, but are often overlooked in scholarship. Recent research focuses on various aspects of bisexuality, yet female bisexuality is largely overlooked. Many existing studies focus on the experiences of bisexuals, rather than on social constructions of the identity and the role communication plays in identity development. This study bridges these gaps in scholarship by examining various ways the female bisexual identity is socially constructed and communicated. Interviews were conducted with 11 bisexually-identifying females; by applying the communication theory of identity to interview responses, various themes of experiences are identified. Both thematic and theoretical analyses are conducted to provide insight to the ways female bisexuality is socially constructed and communicated. Study results suggest that the impact rhetoric and language have on this particular identity construction are influential in the way it is understood on a social level. When female bisexuals are overlooked, spoken for, and ignored, the result is an erasure of the identity; this study also addresses the consequences of this.
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