Social Identity Construction In A Gay Men's Chorus

Abstract

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to examine social identity construction among new members of a predominantly gay men’s chorus. Sixteen men (12 White, 2 Hispanic, 2 African-American) whose ages ranged from 23 to 62 years old agreed to participate in the study. Research questions examined were (1) In what ways does social identity construction among first-year members of a predominantly gay men’s chorus align with tenets of Social Identity Theory? (2) What role does comparative and autonomous judgment play in their social identity formation? Findings from the first research question indicated that participants’ experiences were most aligned with social creativity. Findings from the second research question indicated that members’ descriptions of personal experiences were more congruent with autonomous judgment, rather than group comparisons.