Authentic Identity Research Articles

Rainbow within and beyond: A qualitative study on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender staff nurses in the Philippine hospital settings.

An individual's sexual orientation plays a fundamental role in their self-identity, relationships, and health. Years have shown both progressive and regressive responses to the LGBT community's social acceptance, particularly observable in various areas. Yet existing literature overlooks the Filipino healthcare settings, particularly with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) staff nurses. Exploring their perspectives and experiences, whether challenges or successes, is crucial for gaining insights into occupational matters, workplace dynamics, and policy development. The research aimed to explore the lived experiences of LGBT staff nurses in the hospital settings. Husserl's Transcendental Phenomenology research design was utilized in this study. Participants included LGBT staff nurses with at least a year of experience at any hospital department. Individualized unstructured interviews were conducted with three participants interviewed face-to-face and five through online video conferencing platforms from March to April 2024. All interviews were transcribed, coded, themed, and analyzed using Colaizzi's approach. Data saturation was achieved with eight participants. Seven themes emerged, including: Recognizing Gender Stereotypes, Optimizing Nursing Care, Yearning for Acceptance, Generating Meaningful Relationships, Battling Heteronormative Gender Norms, Inspiring Potentials beyond Gender and Profession, and Valuing the Progress of LGBT Inclusivity. The study revealed that LGBT staff nurses had multifaceted experiences with patients, colleagues, and superiors in the hospital settings as their workplace. They faced gender stereotyping and battled against limits on expression but fought to defend their authentic identities. They built relationships with colleagues and strived to be defined beyond societal perceptions. As they yearn for amplified LGBT acceptance in the workplace and society, they expressed gratitude for progress towards acceptance of the LGBT community.

Positive LGBT+ Identity, Interpersonal Discrimination, and Satisfaction with Life: A Cross-National Comparison Between LGBT+ People in the UK, Italy, and Turkey

The present study explored how identity authenticity and LGBT+ community connectedness may mediate the effects of interpersonal discrimination on life satisfaction in a sample of LGBT+ participants across three counties. We used a cross-sectional online survey to collect data and paper questionnaires. Participants were 723 LGBT+ people (56.6% females): 308 (42%) of participants were from the UK, 245 (34%) from Italy, and 170 (24%) from Turkey. Participants’ age ranged from 18–60 years (M = 33.83, SD = 11.55). Analysis of variance and multigroup mediation models implemented through path analysis were performed. The associations of interpersonal discrimination with identity authenticity and connectedness to the LGBT+ community showed cross-country variations. The association between interpersonal discrimination and identity authenticity was stronger in Italy than in the UK but non-significant in Turkey. Interpersonal discrimination showed a negative association with connectedness to the LGBT+ community in Italy and the UK, with Italy exhibiting the strongest effect. Conversely, this association was positive in Turkey. Irrespective of the country, life satisfaction showed a negative association with interpersonal discrimination and positive associations with identity authenticity and connectedness to the LGBT+ community. This study provides valuable insights into the differences and similarities between the experiences of LGBT+ people in the UK, Italy, and Turkey. The social and policy implications that emerge from the study highlight the relevance of addressing structural stigma in different cultures and emphasize the need for targeted interventions and supportive policies at the supranational level to improve the quality of life of LGBT+ individuals.

Comparison of Spatial Perception Regarding the Re-functionalized Industrial Buildings: Abdullah Gül University Sümer Campus

Industrial buildings that conserve their authentic identities and provide cultural sustainability also appeal to the spatial perceptions of users through their old and new usage forms. It is thought that every generation will have different timeframes and experiencing forms in the spaces they are in, based on their own needs, and this is believed to reflect on their spatial perceptions. Accordingly, this study aims to reveal the effect of different generations’ characteristics on their perception of educational buildings converted from industrial buildings and to reflect users’ reactions to the relevant spaces. In this study, the evolving spatial perceptions regarding Abdullah Gül University Sümer Campus, which has been converted as an educational facility from Sümerbank Fabric Factory, were evaluated through the members of the Generation X and Z. This study which employed qualitative data collection and assessment methods was conducted as a particular case study. Furthermore, this study contained the holistic assessment of the physical, functional and psychological aspects of the re-functionalized campus considering the fact that these spaces whose functions were converted to be educational would include differences based on spatial perceptions. The results of this study indicated that Sümer Campus was considered by the Generation X as a location combining the old texture with the new, while the Generation Z assessed the campus as an esthetic formation where the old and new coexisted with contrasts.

Perceived Discrimination among Muslim, Muslim Feminist, and Feminist Women in Türkiye

The current study aims to explore the perceived discrimination among three women groups in Türkiye: Muslims, Muslim feminists, and feminists. Four hundred fifteen women aged 18-76 (M = 40.6, SD = 16.5) participated in the study. The sample included 177 Muslim women, 92 Muslim feminists, and 146 feminist women. We found significant differences in perceived individual and group discrimination in three women groups. While at the individual level, all groups differed from each other, at the group level discrimination, self-labeling feminists did not differ, yet Muslim women perceived the lower levels of discrimination. Feminists indicated experiencing discrimination mostly from their close ones and outgroups/others. At the same time, Muslim women specified discrimination mostly from religious people, and Muslim feminist women indicated discrimination mostly from outgroups/others and school/work environments. The findings were discussed in terms of the literature on the subject. Future research is encouraged on the authentic identities of women in Türkiye and their discrimination experiences.

Embodiments of conservation: conflictual agencies in and out of the museum

ABSTRACT This paper examines the ways in which conservation may shape, influence, or even manipulate the authenticity and materiality of cultural heritage, cultural identity, and value. In this regard, the application of the term “embodiment” encompasses the choice of conservation strategies and the values and goals attached to them. I argue that embodiments may carry and refer to historical, political, economic, and ethical contexts and controversies. Therefore, two case studies will be discussed: These are the conservation approach and program for the Shōsō-in, the eighth-century treasure house of the Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan, and the 2022 introduction of crypto-conservation by the Saar Historical Museum in Saarbrücken, Germany. The paper particularly highlights embodiments that perform the preservation of cultural heritage beyond Western practices. To this end, it also introduces the African artist initiatives Looty and Milele Museum, both of which expand the perspective towards conservation and restitution.

The impostor phenomenon among racially minoritised university students: ‘who knows how to get rid of this?’

ABSTRACT Less is known about the impostor phenomenon in undergraduate students and, more so, racially minoritised students in the UK. Impostorism has a constraining effect on constructing an authentic identity, leading to a feeling of phoniness. When impostorism intersects with a gendered and racially minoritised identity, individuals may face specific challenges, such as managing compound identity labels or struggling to achieve in their academic environment. This paper reports experiences of the phenomenon in Black female undergraduate students. Semi-structured focus group interviews with 10 students were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four themes were generated: contextual experiences of impostorism, finding sense of belonging, struggling to maintain and value an authentic self, and taming my impostor. The findings point to university environments as both barriers and enablers for taming the effect of the impostor phenomenon on academic and cultural identities and provide novel insights into an underrepresented student population.

The Unique Formality in the Fabric Designs of the Iraqi Fashion House

This research addresses the topic of unique formality in the designs of the fashion house by employing symbols and colors in the elements executed on fashion fabrics for the Iraqi fashion house's runway shows, and the methods and techniques of their implementation, which distinguish the house from its counterparts.The research problem was identified through the following question: How can unique formality be achieved in the fabric designs of the Iraqi fashion house? The aim of the research was to study and analyze the concept of unique formality in the fabric designs of the Iraqi fashion house. The research discussed relevant literature, including the concept and importance of unique formality in fabrics, history and cultural heritage as sources for fashion design, and techniques for showcasing decorative designs in fashion fabrics. The research followed a descriptive analytical method, relying on theoretical framework indicators and expert opinions in analyzing sample models. The research concluded with several findings, the most significant of which are: the elements used greatly influence highlighting the unique formality of fashion fabric designs, and unique formality enhances the beauty and authenticity of fabric designs, reflecting cultural and heritage identity. The research also made several recommendations, the most important of which is to emphasize uniqueness in designs by matching the elements used with historical symbols, referencing original images in museums. Lastly, the research proposed further study on decorative display techniques for the Iraqi fashion house's designs.

Intersectional stigma and mental health: Interactions with identity authenticity and SGM community in sexual and gender minoritized young adults of color.

Sexual and gender minoritized people (SGM) of color experience stigma unique to their intersection of identities, such as racism from SGM and heterosexism from people of color (POC) in their same racial/ethnic group. SGM POC who experience enacted stigma, like microaggressions, have been found to have poorer mental health outcomes. SGM identity authenticity and connections to the SGM community have been associated with better mental health. We sought to test if intersectional enacted stigma, identity authenticity, community connectedness, and the interactions between enacted stigma and authenticity and community were associated with mental health in assigned female at birth (AFAB) SGM young adults of color. Data come from 341 racial/ethnic minoritized SGM-AFAB (Mage = 21.23, SD = 3.80). Multivariate linear regressions tested main effects of intersectional enacted stigma (heterosexism from POC and racism from SGM) and authenticity and community on mental health, as well as interaction effects on mental health. SGM-AFAB POC who experienced more heterosexism from POC reported more anxiety and depression symptoms. Greater connection to the SGM community was associated with fewer anxiety and depression symptoms. Heterosexism from POC and community connection interacted such that SGM-AFAB who experienced less heterosexism from POC reported fewer mental health symptoms if they were more connected to the SGM community, but SGM-AFAB who experienced more heterosexism did not benefit from stronger community connection. Heterosexism from other POC may put SGM POC at higher exposure for negative mental health outcomes and reduce the mental health benefits of a stronger connection to the SGM community. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

ADAPTING THE CONSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY OF THE STATE TO MODERN CHALLENGES: ANALYSIS AND PERSPECTIVES

This article examines the process of adapting the constitutional identity of states to modern challenges. It considers the evolution of the concept of identity and its significance within the constitutional fabric of the state. The paper focuses on the mechanisms and causes of changes in constitutional identity, which can be either deliberate or unforeseen, and the role of political dynamics and external pressures in this process. The authors analyze a number of constitutional reforms in different countries over the past five years, highlighting the diversity of both the goals and the content of these reforms. The article also explores the dual nature of identity transformation in the context of international relations and the importance of preserving the authenticity of constitutional identity while adapting to new challenges.

Networked sustainable lifestyle activism: growth and limits of zero waste movement in urban China

ABSTRACT How do citizens express environmentalism and lead sustainable change in an authoritarian country like China, where contentious political civic actions have limited saliency? Can we re-imagine what forms of citizen action build ’environmental movement’ in this socio-political context? Based on 41 in-depth interviews and seven months of participant observations in China’s zero waste community, this article proposes networked sustainable lifestyle activism as an important form of environmental movement in China’s socio-political context. Drawing on lifestyle movement (Haenfler et al. 2012) and sustainable materialism (Schlosberg 2019) theories, I analyze the growth, characteristics, and limitations of the zero waste movement in China. It consists of sustainable lifestyle activism that adopts lifestyle change for broader sustainability, pursues anti-consumerism authentic identity and well-being as a site of change, and grows through social media and informal networks. Meanwhile, the movement goes beyond individual lifestyle change as networks of secondhand material flow and collective, non-contentious environmental actions. Difficulties to promote widespread, thorough sustainable lifestyle change and constrained political engagement are important factors that limit the movement’s effects. My research contributes to the literature on new environmental movements, theoretical discussion of environmental movements in China, and empirical understanding of civic environmental actions in this socio-political context.

Stigma and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (and additional identities) (LGBTQ+) parent socialization self-efficacy: Mediating roles of identity and community.

In the United States, cultural forces have led to the stigmatization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (and additional identities) (LGBTQ+) parenthood. However, pushing back against this stigmatization, developing a positive LGBTQ+ identity, and investing in one's LGBTQ+ community may inform empowering narratives of future parenthood and related constructs, such as LGBTQ+ parent socialization. Perceived self-efficacy related to preparation for bias (i.e., discussions of discrimination, prejudice, or bias-based bullying) socialization is likely associated with an individual's own perceptions or experiences of stigmatization given the conceptual overlap of bias and stigma. However, other constructs related to stigmatization and socialization self-efficacy, such as positive LGBTQ+ identity or community connectedness, have yet to be simultaneously considered (to our knowledge). Further, previous research has rarely included different assessments of stigma (i.e., perceived and enacted) and/or dimensions of positive LGBTQ+ identity (i.e., authenticity and self-awareness). Thus, this study aimed to rectify these gaps and provide a greater understanding of sexual stigma and LGBTQ+ parent socialization self-efficacy. Using data from a survey-based, online, cross-sectional study of LGBTQ+ childfree adults (N = 433; Mage = 29.85 years old) in the United States, we found that experiences of enacted or perceived sexual stigma were differentially associated with LGBTQ+ parent socialization preparation for bias self-efficacy. Further, positive LGBTQ+ identity authenticity and self-awareness, as well as LGBTQ+ community connectedness played distinct roles as mediators of the relationships between sexual stigma and LGBTQ+ parent socialization self-efficacy. These findings have implications for how we might understand the role of stigma, identity, community, and socialization among future LGBTQ+ parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Authenticity of Organizational-Level Visual Identity in the Context of Strategic Communication

ABSTRACT With the purpose of addressing authenticity as a central concept for organizational-level visual identity, the paper contributes to growing scholarly interest in the role of symbols and images in the context of strategic communication. The paper theoretically and empirically explores conceptualizations and assumptions related to visual identity authenticity. Theoretically, it demonstrates how the dominant approach to authenticity rests on three interrelated assumptions: that a real organizational identity essence exists; that it can and should be aligned with a corresponding visual identity; and that such visual identity can transmit the essence as part of strategic communication. However, additional approaches to authenticity challenge and nuance the essentialist approach by operating with alternative, processual assumptions related to the nature of organizational identity, visual identity, and strategic communication. Empirically, the paper develops the identified theoretical approaches though practitioner insights. In particular, the empirical work consists of interviews with ten agency strategists focused on how they understand visual identity authenticity. Combined, the theoretical and empirical work offer a complex perspective on organizational-level visual identity authenticity, which goes beyond the essentialist approach by adding dynamic, aspirational, and consumer-driven approaches. These different approaches, in turn, have distinctive implications for visual strategic communication.

On the Re-Alienation Experiences of the Amateur Runners in Istanbul

In contemporary mass culture, individuals are increasingly subjected to standardization, homogenization, and objectification, leading to experiences of alienation within the societal framework shaped by it. Despite efforts to fortify connections with oneself, the environment, society, and meaning, individuals may still find themselves immersed in alienation within the societal structure they inhabit. Through heightened awareness, individuals strive to reclaim their authentic identities, utilizing various means to distance themselves from alienation. However, this pursuit may paradoxically result in renewed ruptures in connections, as individuals encounter re-alienation, finding themselves ontologically identical yet formally distinct within the alienation process. Amidst the complexities of modern life, individuals often seek self-realization through recreational pursuits like running. Hence, this study endeavors to examine the phenomenon of re-alienation, particularly among amateur runners. By conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with runners in Istanbul, the study explores both the process of distancing from alienation and the experience of encountering re-alienation through running. Through its investigation, the study aims to contribute to scholarly discourse on alienation, self-realization, and re-alienation with the lens of critical communication studies. By analyzing the lived experiences of individuals, the research seeks to deepen our understanding of the intricate dynamics of alienation and resilience in contemporary society. Research findings show that running as a recreational activity strengthens individuals' connections with themselves, nature, their social environment, meaning, and values, thereby allowing for a sense of autonomy to be achieved; however, due to social infrastructure and individual psychological tendencies, subject and object fetishes can be developed in relation to running activities, leading to experiences of re-alienation. Keywords: alienation, self-realization, mass culture, sports and recreational studies, critical communication studies

“Who Am I to Tell Them How to Coach?”—An Analysis of Coach Developers’ Professional Identity Formation

Coach developers play a critical role in the development of coaches. However, coach developers themselves remain under-researched, in particular the socially mediated process of becoming a coach developer is poorly understood. Eleven coach developers working across Regional and National Sports Governing Bodies took part in a series of interviews and in situ observations over the course of 12 months. Engaging a reflexive thematic analysis, this paper focuses on the power relations that contour the transitions into coach developer roles. Specifically, the analysis depicts an identity-making process in which power is exerted through different sites and modalities that structure and regulate coach developers’ practice and roles through shared discourses. In efforts to secure their positions and maintain legitimate identities, coach developers operated within an uncritical selective culture, which saw them wield, maintain, and enhance the power provided to them. Building on existing research, we examine the contested nature of what it means to be a coach developer, specifically showcasing the navigation of inherently unstable professional learning cultures and critiquing coach developer training. This work begins to address calls for the voices of coach developers in their research, while identifying the reproduction of a cultural orthodoxy, and the lack of effective in situ coach developer training. Implications from the research suggest that further support and development are required in the training of coach developers in situ, as well as the need for research to interrogate the language and discourse framing the role.

A Philosophical View on Love and the Concept of Soulmates in Paulo Coelho’s Brida

Paulo Coelho’s novel Brida (1990) takes readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration. This paper delves into the novel’s profound themes of love, the protagonist’s quest for personal authenticity and the concept of soulmate. Brida, the young and curious protagonist, embarks on a voyage to uncover her true self and find her place in the realm of magic and spirituality. Throughout her encounters with wise mentors and spiritual experiences. This abstract examines how the concept of soulmate and love intertwines with Brida’s self-discovery, allowing her to shed societal constraints and discover her authentic identity. By analyzing the novel with applying Jean Paul Satre’s philosophical theories concerning love and existentialism. The study focuses on intricate narrative and poignant insights, it sheds light on the transformative power of finding the love for the being and the profound impact of self-discovery on one’s journey towards personal authenticity.

‘Decolonising socio-political consciousness': second-generation LGBTQIA + South Asian experiences of finding the self and community in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT Second-generation LGBTQIA + South Asians in Aotearoa New Zealand remain overlooked in mainstream queer discourse, with their identities inaccurately amalgamated with the broader LGBTQIA + community. Despite significant differences influenced by historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts, this population's experiences are often ignored. In early 2022, we conducted a community consultation to uncover these unique experiences, yielding 43 narratives through semi-structured interviews. This paper explores the interconnection between the sense of self, community, and the formation of identities. The complex and non-linear nature of these processes is particularly evident for second-generation LGBTQIA + individuals in the South Asian diaspora. The pursuit of a secure and authentic identity becomes arduous and compromising due to societal norms. We show that the intricate shaping of identities through the multifaceted lens of relationality offers a particular kind of socio-political consciousness.

A Soft Prison Called Compulsory School Time

This article attempts to reflect on school time as a paradoxical moment of realization of a right (that of education and upbringing) and de facto negation of other intangible and yet essential rights (the right to play, to the construction of an authentic identity, to self-fulfilment, to freedom). Starting from a provocative, hyperbolic question that could be dismissed as utopian and academically irrelevant: «Can compulsory school time be considered a potential soft crime?», this paper tries to delve into technical and functional aspects of school organization to analyse the potential and shortcomings of en-situation school time, trying to account for the complex dynamic interferences that link functional the normality of the flattening-demotivation of the learners binomial, homologation, social mobility and ordering control. In particular, while citing virtuous and vicious examples of school time taken from realities distant in geographical space or the result of a historical moment other than the current one, this paper focuses on Italy as a case study, with particular reference to the school segment of Kindergarten and some hints relating to primary and lower secondary school - the latter being configured as a weak segment par excellence. Finally, the examination of some legislative measures (in particular Law 53/2003 and Legislative Decree No. 262 of 29 December 2007) will highlight a key problem of school time, namely the split between two moments (infant, primary and middle school on the one hand, upper secondary schools on the other) which is also a split between two modalities, which translates into an opposition between school understood as a social service in the first phase and academia or early professionalization in the second one. A split perpetrated in violation of the healthy principles of didactic continuity and which finds questionable counterweights in the exceptionality of the competition-excellence binomial and in the normality of the flattening-demotivation of the learner’s binomial

Conveying COVID-19 Health Information with CALD Social Media Influencers: The Cultural Role of Brand Consistency and Relatability for Identity Authenticity

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 global pandemic, young people and culturally and linguistically diverse populations (CALD) were underserved by non-tailored government health messaging. Social media influencers offer a potentially cost-effective and scalable form of health communication for reaching young CALD populations. Little is known, however, about the characteristics of an influencer’s identity authenticity for reaching CALD youth, or how that authenticity is underpinned by brand consistency and relatability. Drawing on the authors’ commissioned evaluation of a state government initiative for delivering targeted COVID-19 health information to CALD young people (11-26 years) in Victoria, Australia, this paper analyses findings from thirteen qualitative interviews with influencers and target audience members to provide insights on identity authenticity in the contemporary digital ecology. The analysis aims to contribute to the limited extant knowledge of the role third-party influencers can play in government health communication by providing a cultural context for understanding identity authenticity when targeting minority social groups.

Sexual minority behavioral health outcomes: The role of identity authenticity and self-regulation.

Sexual minority behavioral health outcomes: The role of identity authenticity and self-regulation.

Exploring clinical reasoning in child language assessment through decoloniality

Purpose Clinical reasoning has been taught, practised, and researched under Western epistemologies, which have been fallible in addressing the complexity of clinical reasoning within Indigenous cultures and societies. We explored how speech-language pathologists in Sri Lanka negotiate and value Indigenous and Western perspectives in clinical reasoning within a decolonial framework. Method This study used participatory research methodology within the decolonised qualitative research paradigm to produce data collaboratively with eight Sri Lankan speech-language pathologists. Oral history narratives and object-based textual reflections generated the necessary data for the study. Systematic visual-textual analysis and reflexive thematic analysis were carried out iteratively, and the data analysis and interpretation were undertaken collaboratively with the participants. Result We generated four key themes about professional education, individuality in practice, holistic thinking, and balancing interests and priorities. The results demonstrate that social, political, and economic forces impact practitioners’ clinical reasoning. Conclusion Practising science in its original form within Indigenous contexts is challenging. Colonial roots and imperialism impact the delivery of appropriate services in socially and politically marginalised communities. Practitioners’ self-awareness about authentic identities and practical wisdom can develop culturally relevant knowledge for equitable practice.