How has legal marriage affected the experience of social supports for same-sex individuals who were married in Massachusetts

Author

Dawn N. Geller, Smith College

Publication Date

2007

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of the new population of individuals who married a same-sex partner since it was legal in Massachusetts. The study focused on the effect legal marriage had on their experiences of social supports. Seventy-three individuals responded to the on-line survey, 54 of which answered the essay question that contributed to the findings of this study. The findings of this study reflect that the experiences of individuals who have married a same-sex partner vary in part due to the social supports and levels of acceptance of their marriage from family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and other institutions. The visibility that legal marriage brought to these individuals' same-sex relationships brought both a sense of legitimacy and an experience of backlash as this new civil right was accessed by this previously marginalized population.

Comments

iv, 69 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-62).

Recommended Citation

Geller, Dawn N., "How has legal marriage affected the experience of social supports for same-sex individuals who were married in Massachusetts" (2007). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/420