Research Essay Final.docx

THE EFFECT OF PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE ON THE LEVEL OF SELF-ESTEEM OF HOMOSEXUAL COLLEGE STUDENT

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in WRITING in the DISCIPLINE

School of Arts and Sciences Emilio Aguinaldo College – Cavite

Evangelista, Michael Adam A. Grata, Jay

Ms. Aenna D. Salud

July 2017

Introduction The family is the basic unit of the society. Parents want the best for their child and keep them from all kinds of harm and to those who might hurt their child. But this may not be the case when it comes to homosexual teens (Ryan, 2009). This view of the society regarding homosexuals creates the barrier between freedom and liberation in expressing themselves. Building up this freedom starts from being accepted by the family. In the start of the new millennium, homosexuality has become mainstream in the culture of the world, because nearly everyone has a relative or friend who is a homosexual and culture has been influenced by them (Colon, 2014). In the case of the Philippines, according to a Philippine Studies by Rafael (2011) the tale of “liberation” and conversion of the homosexual Filipinos ends with replacing the “degrading” sexual and cultural feelings of local homosexual practices and is highly influenced by the Western countries. This results to open gay individualism, but a different perception in the view of Filipino parents. People have varied views about homosexuality. Even up to now, the sexual preference of a person is still an issue in a patriarchal society such as the Philippines where having a homosexual member of the family may be unacceptable. That is the reason why many homosexual children do not tell anyone about their identity.

They have a perception that being a homosexual is shameful and

wrong in the viewpoint of the family, peers, and even in the community (Ryan, 2009). The web site www.rhrealitycheck.org says that as a group, gay, lesbian, and bisexual

teens and young adults have higher rates of suicide. Gays and lesbians are laughed at, mocked and discriminated, resulting to low self-esteem. These are some information that will justify why most homosexual teens have low self-esteem. According to Cardwell (2003) homosexuality is a term used either to sexual contact with a member of the same sex or a sexual preference for one’s own sex. There has traditionally been a great deal of prejudice against homosexuals. On the 1950’s, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) classification of mental disorders included homosexuality as a mental illness which triggered a paradigm shift in how society came to view mental health which was eliminated in the year 1973, and referred the situation as “Sexual Orientation Disturbance” (Mayes & Horwitz, 2005) and thus gave the society a different view of homosexuality. Should a family be non-accepting of a homosexual member? How will it affect a homosexual child? Will it foster better relationships among family members or will it destroy the child and bring the family apart? Will it affect the self-esteem of the homosexual child? A child’s performance will further be developed if the environment permits it, because it will set positive outcomes for teens (McElhaney, et al., 2008). Since having a homosexual member of the family is something “different”, these homosexual teens may actually be inhibited from performing well because of their family’s non-acceptance. The parents are the first line of support of a child and if parents are indeed supportive, the confidence of the homosexual members of the family can be developed enabling them to perform well and have healthy well-being (Ryan, et al., 2010). But

what happens when some of the members of the family do not accept a homosexual member? Does it affect the level of self-esteem of that homosexual teen? Researchers believe that parental acceptance plays a significant role in the level of self-esteem of a homosexual. According to Erol & Orth (2011), low self-esteem among adolescents and young adults is a factor for negative outcomes in important life domains. Since being a homosexual is a “different thing”, does parental acceptance affect the homosexuals’ level of self-esteem? This research would like to find out if parental acceptance does affect the level of self-esteem of a homosexual college student. This study will focus on homosexual college students because according to Eric Erikson’s Developmental Stages, adolescence is a stage where individuals begin to seek for both a sense of individualism and a sense of belongingness.

On Homosexuality There are theories that talk about how the development of homosexual orientation relate to life incidences, parenting patterns, or psychological attributes of the individual. The Psychoanalytic Theory explains that both the child experiences and the relationship to the parents are factors concerning the development of homosexuals, as well as the patterns in a person’s family background. According to Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (2013) homosexuality is a term created by 19th century theorists to describe a sexual and emotional interest in members of one's own sex. Today a person is often said to have a homosexual or a heterosexual orientation, a description intended to defuse some of the long-standing sentiment among many Westerners that homosexuality is immoral or pathological. Homosexual practices are not afforded any special moral or psychological significance in many other cultures. A survey of one hundred ninety societies around the world (1951) reported that homosexual practices are considered acceptable behavior in approximately seventy percent of them. The description of homosexuality as an orientation also suggests, as some contemporary theorists have argued, that the boundaries between "homosexual" and "heterosexual" are not necessarily rigid. Some studies have indicated that most individuals have some erotic interest in both sexes, whether overt or not. The open expression of interest in both sexes is known as bisexuality. Transsexuals are distinguished from homosexuals by the feeling that they are really members of the

opposite sex. Male and female homosexuals are now commonly known as gays and lesbians, respectively (Crooks & Baur, 1990). According to Bell and his colleagues in Crooks & Baur (1990) interesting findings have been reported regarding the role of family patterns in the development of sexual orientation, just like evidences seen in male homosexuals brought by poor father-son relationship. The problem was seen because coming out to one’s family and friends is a significant step in their development as well as parents who experience difficult feelings from the revelation that a child is homosexual. They may react on anger or questioning “what they did wrong”. That is why many homosexual did not tend to do it so.

On Parental Acceptance A study done by Beaty (1999) aimed to examine the identity development of homosexual youth and parental and family influences in the coming out process. The result of the study indicates that homosexual adolescents who have a relationship with their parents and families tend to come out at a young age and to experience more positive identities than those who have poor relationship. The researchers believed that parental and family support could help to ensure that homosexual youth grow into healthy and productive adults. “Homosexual adolescents who have come out to their siblings first have been accepted by them will feel more comfortable coming out to their parents” (Beaty, 1999). According to Park (2010) while the acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens costume to grow, albeit gradually, study after study consistently show that many

of these adolescent will experience considerable reject from the very source they crave acceptance most: their families. A research done by Ryan, as cited by Park (2010), found that teens in the more supportive environment also self-reported higher level of self-esteem and self-worth. “Acceptance from their families can have a positive effect on teens” (Park, 2010). Ryan, as mentioned by D’Augelli (2005), stated that a lesbian-gay-bisexual (LGB) adolescents’ relationship with their parents are often challenged, especially in the time of coming out or in the disclosure of their sexual identity. Another study by Huebner as cited by Ryan (2010) points out that relationship in the family, particularly rejection from the family, affects the LGB young adults in mental and health aspects. The lasting influence of accepting family comments, attitudes, behaviors, and interactions related to the adolescent LGB’s identity clearly affects the emotional and personal state of a person. According to Ryan (2009), many parents feel uncertain when they learn that their child is gay. That is why they (families) are motivated to learn how best to support their children because all their words and doings have effects on the LGB teens’ well-being and life.

On Self-esteem As mentioned by Byne in Drescher (2007), many reports about LGB individuals having difficulty in coming out as homosexuals to themselves or to others because they are being subjected to anti-homosexual attitudes, not only from strangers but from their own families and communities as well. This results to concealing important aspects of them and losing their self-esteem. According to Fieldman (2011), self-esteem is the component of personality that encompasses our positive and negative self-evaluations. Generally, people have equal level of self-esteem, but it is not one-dimensional. One’s self-esteem when it comes to academics maybe high but in sports it could be low. A person’s behaviors reflect the view one have on him/herself and the way he/she values the parts of his/her personality. Cited by Drescher in Drescher (2007) that being separated or to hide something is painful, because it will create difficulties in assessing other people’s perception of one’s self as well as recognizing one’s own strength. “Dissociation’s impact on selfesteem can also make it difficult to feel one’s actual accomplishments as reflection of one’s own abilities. Transparency, invisibility, losing one’s voice, being an outsider, etc. are some of the terms used to describe the subjective experience of dissociative detachment” (Drescher, 1998). According to the study done by Emler (2001), self-esteem is a favorable opinion of one’s self. In layman’s term, it is simply confidence. The study focused on the factors

that affects the self-esteem of adolescents, and the part violence and other forms of it plays on it. The public domain mainly affects the self-esteem of today’s teenagers. Public acceptance is an important factor in considering self-worth. However, not all teens are being accepted as they wanted themselves to be accepted. This is the main reason why bullying and other forms of violence happen. It is because low self-esteem caused by poor public acceptance is the main reason of all personal and social ills. We can say that not may believe it though, but that is the at least the popular view of all. Low self-esteem also affects the emotional state of children, thus, inflicting different behavioral problems such as eating disorders, educational under achievement, racial prejudices, and many more which, if not cured, will lead to problems that are more serious. Whether certain approaches can prove this popular opinion or not, assessing the self-esteem of teens will require procedures and tests. There are many claims that self esteem are just emotions which are immeasurable. But as Rosenberg (1965) provided, there is an available scale where one can already assess self-esteem by answering the questions provided. This is the core of the study conducted by Yang and Fletsch in 2007. Having interviewed rural children, they primarily assessed that self-esteem between rural and urban children really do not differ. There are many studies also by other researchers which prove it.

However, there are some factors which affect the self worth and confidence of rural children. Rural families often have extended in which urban children may not know or experience and eventually are not aware of the feeling of being with an extended family.

Rural children are comfortable with the situation. But with the increasing

demands of goods in the family, parents, aunts, uncles, and even grandparents of rural children are forced to work in towns and other urbanized areas. This sudden change in the family set up affects the self worth of children in the rural areas. This factor, however, did not affect the totality of the study. It just comprised a small amount of number in the statistic report and the result remained unchanged. Material things do not interfere to the feeling of self worth of children, as well as the confidence in their immediate acquaintance and eventually leading to their self-esteem. “Self-esteem comprises self-assessed competencies that contribute to a generalized sense of self-worth” (Harter, 1999).

On level of self-esteem as being affected by parental acceptance A study of Savin-Williams (2008), aims to examine the parental influences on the self-esteem of gay and lesbian youth. Based on the results of the study, “among the gay males, parental acceptance predicted comfortable being gay if the parents were also perceived as important components of a youth’s self-worth; a male most comfortable with his sexual orientation had the highest level of self-esteem” (Savin-Williams, 2008). Felson and Zielinski (1989) intended to examine the Children’s Self-esteem and Parental Support. Based on the result of the study, parents’ supportive behavior, as measured by children’s report, affects the self-esteem of the children but the self-

esteem also affect how much support children report their parents give them. Parents have a greater effect on the self-esteem of girls than boys. Mother and father have a similar effect on both sexes. According to Goldman (2008) too many of homosexual teens face emotional isolation, rejection, and complete withdrawal from parents that lead many to depression, drugs, alcohol, and even homelessness. Even in the unsafe educational environment, the homosexual teen students are exposed to bullying, sexual harassment, victimization issues, and emotional and physical abuse. As a result, they can be traumatized, abandoned, and rejected. All of these challenges that are encountered by homosexual teens are breeding grounds for low self-esteem, depression, and suicide ideation. An organization that helps support homosexual teens is the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gays (PFLAG) that aims to essentially in provide parents with ongoing support to help them explore issues involving gay and lesbian youth. In this organization, parental support can be a major force in children’s well-being as they step out and reveal to others that their son or daughter is LGBT. This organization has an intervention in which they provide a comfortable and safe atmosphere. “The goal of each and every mother and father is not merely acceptance, but the total embracing of their lives free from judgment and filled with loving support” (Goldman, 2008). According to Fieldman (2011) self-esteem has a high cultural component. Having high relationship harmony where a person creates strong bonds with other people, especially family, can produce higher self-esteem.

Parental acceptance and family influences also help in the coming out process because it boosts their confidence (Beaty, 1999).

Research conducted by other researcher about the effect of parental acceptance to the self-esteem of homosexual student

A research was conducted by Ansari & Qureshi (2013) aimed at examining relationship of parental acceptance and rejection with self-esteem in adolescents. The results states that parental acceptance-rejection affects the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional development of children, thus, has a significant role in relation to self-esteem and functioning in adolescents and parenting in considered one of the major risk factors for the development of low self-esteem in children. “Parenting has implicated as a risk factor for the development of childhood low self-esteem. Self-esteem is a term to reflect a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth” Ansari & Qureshi (2013). According to a study of Mapua et al (2006) that aimed to find out the level of selfesteem of metro-sexual and the impact of psycho-social factors on their behavior among college students, children must be given proper guidance especially gender orientation as well as the importance of a “parent- figure” in developing and caring for their children by nurturing a strong bond with them. For the respondents with average self- esteem, it is suitable for them to share their sadness with someone they trust for they tend to blame themselves too much when they are down at times. There is also a chance that the respondents underestimate themselves. For the respondents with high

self-esteem, they must not let events get one’s self down and should listen to the strong voice of their positive side in times of doubt. According to a research of Albes, et al (2004) that aimed to find out the implication of father and son relationship in the development of homosexuality, having a high self-esteem is important and it will be shown to the people around them. Also, most of the participants do not feel loved and respected, thus, it is important to love them first and later on people around them will return the love and respect. It says that a strong family bond would result to feeling and satisfaction in every member, thus, straighten out the difficulty of the participants in their family relation and help them adjust socially and their self- concept.

Conclusion The overriding purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between parental acceptance and the level of self-esteem of homosexual college students, This study aims to examine whether parental acceptance affects the level of self-esteem of selected homosexual college students which has to answer the problem indicated in our study in order to know the level of self-esteem of the homosexual college students of, to know the direction of the relationship between parental acceptance and the level of selfesteem, and also the magnitude of the relationship of parental acceptance and the level of self-esteem. To accomplish that goal, it became necessary to reach some prerequisite goals. Determining what self-esteem means and how does it relates with the situations of homosexuals. Related to that effort, it became necessary to reach an understanding about parental acceptance and how it affects a homosexual’s life. Once these fundamental steps were achieved, this research was able to go forward. After the information/data were gathered and analyze, the researchers formulated these significant conclusions: Based on the research result on the same topic most of the student have normal level of self-esteem. According to Campbell, et al. (2003), high self-esteem is partly the result of good school performance. People high in self-esteem claim to be more likable and attractive, to have better relationships, and to make better impressions on others than people with low self-esteem. A person who has a high self-esteem is more willing to speak up in groups and to criticize the group's approach. In addition in our present days, Homosexual college student have high parental acceptance. Based on the study of Savin- Williams (2008) about Parental

Influences of the Self- Esteem of Gay and Lesbian Youths stated that parental acceptance predicted comfortable being gay if the parents were also perceived as important components of a youth's self-worth; a male most comfortable with his sexual orientation had the highest level of self-esteem. While it is general impression that parental acceptance and level of self-esteem are correlated and are closely associated with one another, the researchers found out that it is true with the homosexual college students. Data revealed that parental acceptance is associated or correlated to level of self-esteem. Parental acceptance and self-esteem are related. After the investigation was made by the researchers, were finally concluded that high level of parental acceptance results to the increase on the level of self-esteem among homosexual students. That is why the researchers deduced that parental acceptance has a relationship with an individual’s self-esteem. These conclusions provide answers and clarifications to what the research is intended to focus on.

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