Abstract
Objectives
Research highlights how vital it is that LGBTQIA+ students receive support as they transition into further and higher education. However, there is also a need to move beyond simply providing greater ‘support’, to tackle cis and hetero-normativity, and to enable LGBTQIA+ agency and resistance.
Design
This inter-disciplinary participatory research project explored the use of zines as a space for navigating LGBTQIA+ life and identities. This was done through a series of zine-making workshops that took place at the Manchester Poetry Library.
Methods
In total, 15 LGBTQIA+ university students took part in the zine-making workshops as co-researchers and participants. The informal conversations during the workshops were captured using audio recording devices and through use of fieldnotes. Towards the end of the workshops, the students engaged in co-interviews and a focus group.
Results
Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data in collaboration with the students as co-researchers. The findings support the unique nature of zines and zine-making workshops for affirmation – for the self and others, and for community-building.
Conclusions
We hope that the findings will inform strategies to create LGBTQIA+ positive higher education experiences to enable LGBTQIA+ students feel they matter, as well as belong.
Research highlights how vital it is that LGBTQIA+ students receive support as they transition into further and higher education. However, there is also a need to move beyond simply providing greater ‘support’, to tackle cis and hetero-normativity, and to enable LGBTQIA+ agency and resistance.
Design
This inter-disciplinary participatory research project explored the use of zines as a space for navigating LGBTQIA+ life and identities. This was done through a series of zine-making workshops that took place at the Manchester Poetry Library.
Methods
In total, 15 LGBTQIA+ university students took part in the zine-making workshops as co-researchers and participants. The informal conversations during the workshops were captured using audio recording devices and through use of fieldnotes. Towards the end of the workshops, the students engaged in co-interviews and a focus group.
Results
Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data in collaboration with the students as co-researchers. The findings support the unique nature of zines and zine-making workshops for affirmation – for the self and others, and for community-building.
Conclusions
We hope that the findings will inform strategies to create LGBTQIA+ positive higher education experiences to enable LGBTQIA+ students feel they matter, as well as belong.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 9-16 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Psychology of Education Review |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Sept 2024 |