Pamela J. Lannutti

For better or worse: Exploring the meanings of same-sex marriage within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community

This study examines how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) men and women assign meaning to legally recognized same-sex marriage and its impact on their understanding of the LGBT community. Open-ended web-based survey questions asked participants (N = 288) to consider the ways in which legally recognizing same-sex marriage may positively and negatively affect the LGBT community. The understanding of legally recognized same-sex marriage that emerges is multilayered, with an overarching theme of equality forming a surface over deeper dialectical themes describing tensions in the perceived influence of same-sex marriage on same-sex romantic relationships, the LGBT community, and the relationship between the LGBT community and heterosexual others. The findings of the study suggest that same-sex marriage should be considered as a context for all future discussions of married and unmarried same-sex partnerships.

Security, recognition, and misgivings: Exploring older same-sex couples’ experiences of legally recognized same-sex marriage

This study examines older same-sex couples’ experiences with legally recognized same-sex marriage (SSM). Thirty-six same-sex couples who ranged in age from 56 to 73 (M = 63.75) participated in semi-standardized interviews about their reaction to SSM and the surrounding debates, the impact of SSM on their relationship and social network, and their decision to marry or not. Three themes emerged from older same-sex couples’ descriptions of their experiences with SSM: an increased sense of security, an increased sense of recognition, and misgivings about SSM. Results reflect the unique historical perspective and challenges of older same-sex couples as they negotiate a changing social context.

Examining the Content and Outcomes of Young Adults’ Satisfying and Unsatisfying Conversations About Sex

In this study, we examined young adults’ conversational descriptions of satisfying and unsatisfying sexual conversations with a romantic partner and the relational and sexual outcomes. We coded participants’ responses for content, when and where conversations occurred, and the results of conversations. Most often, conversations occurred in residences at the beginning of relationships and addressed sexual pleasure, relationship issues, sexual health, past sexual experience, attitudes/values, and sexual decision making. The results of conversations included relational consequences such as distrust, anger, understanding, and being afraid to talk to a partner, as well as sexual outcomes such as better sex, condom use, and better sex talk. The findings suggest that the costs and rewards of young adults’ sexual disclosure have implications for the effectiveness of sexual communication.

Death on Facebook Examining the roles of social media communication for the bereaved

Although research has highlighted potential benefits social media sites present for the bereaved (Carroll & Landry, 2010; Sanderson & Cheong, 2010), there is also the potential for problematic effects (Kern, Forman, & Gil-Egui, 2013). This study examines the ways in which the social networking site Facebook was helpful and unhelpful to participants (N = 265) when someone they knew died. Analysis of 454 thought units revealed three themes describing participants’ experiences with communication on Facebook during bereavement: news dissemination, preservation, and community. The results suggest that Facebook communication is both beneficial and challenging for bereaved users, which may produce a coping paradox. Implications of grief-related mediated communication and the coping paradox are explored.

Investigating Self-Efficacy and Emotional Challenge as Contributors to Willingness to Provide Emotional Support

This study investigated negative emotions surrounding emotional support provision and proposed an extension of appraisal-based models of emotional support. The model proposed that emotional challenge and support self-efficacy would be related, and both would contribute to willingness to provide emotional support. Participants (N = 119) reported two situations: one when they offered emotional support and one when they did not. Results indicated that in both situations, support self-efficacy and emotional challenge were not related. However, more self-efficacy and less emotional challenge were related to willingness to provide emotional support. This study provides unique insights into how appraisals of the emotions involved in the support process contribute to providers’ willingness to provide emotional support. Implications for support providers are discussed.

Remapping the Topography of Couples’ Daily Interactions: Electronic Messages

This study extends a portion of Alberts, Yoshimura, Rabby, and Loschiavos (2005) research on romantic couples’ mundane relational maintenance communication behavior by examining the daily electronic messages (N = 902) sent and received by romantic couples (N = 15). Specifically, this study examined the frequency with which couples used the types of maintenance communication behaviors previously identified by Alberts et al. in their daily electronic communication with one another. Our results provide evidence to support Alberts et al.s typology of relational maintenance behaviors in an electronic context and show that although couples are using new technologies to communicate, much of the content of their communication is similar to that found in the previous relational maintenance literature.

Committed, Unmarried Same-Sex Couples and their Social Networks in the US: Relationships and Discursive Strategies

ABSTRACT This study examines two aspects of the experiences that committed, unmarried same-sex couples have with social network members (friends and family members). The study examines how remaining unmarried affected the couples’ relationships with social network members and the discursive strategies couples use when discussing their relationship with social network members. Twenty-seven committed, unmarried U.S. same-sex couples were interviewed. Couples described two challenges in their relationships with social network members as a result of not marrying: others perceived their commitment level as lessened because they did not marry, and others supported their relationship less because they did not marry. Couples used four discursive strategies to establish and maintain their family identity when interacting with social network members. Couples’ relational experiences and discursive strategies were consistent with previous descriptions of discourse-dependent families.