Bibliographic details and abstracts are available to all. Downloads of full-text dissertations are restricted to University of Portsmouth members who must login. MPhils may be accessed by all.

Abstract

The sociology of friendship is a widely overlooked topic, with cross-sex and cross-sexual orientation friendships being even more ignored in the sociological discipline. With the marketisation of UK higher education leading to universities placing increased importance on students’ mental and emotional wellbeing, I believe that student friendships should be researched in more depth. This research project examines the role that individual gender identity and sexual orientation plays in the formation and maintenance of friendships within a sample of university students.
Dyad interviews, and later individual interviews, were conducted with five pairs of current students recruited from the University of Portsmouth (one male pair, one female pair, and three cross-sex pairs). All dyads, with the exception of the female pair, were also cross-sexual orientation friendships. Interview data was then analysed using thematic analysis, based on the qualitative research framework defined by Braun and Clarke (2006), with eight themes being identified: (1) values and preferences; (2) life priorities; (3) cross-sex friendship; (4) sexual orientation; (5) masculinity and gender roles; (6) time and location; (7) activities and conversation; and (8) emotional intimacy and support.
From in-depth analysis of these themes, I argue that gender roles are still prevalent in many friendships today and shape the dynamics of such relationships, particularly surrounding aspects of emotion, trust and communication. Also discussed are the benefits of cross-sex and cross-sexual orientation friendships, which I suggest are disregarded by sociologists as a topic of research interest due to stigma and uncertainty associated with these types of relationships

Course: Sociology with Pyschology - BSc (Hons) - C1509

Date Deposited: 2020-10-13

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13568.html