LGBT Travel Case Study: Minority Stress and Stereotype Threat Implications

LGBT Travel Case Study: Minority Stress and Stereotype Threat Implications Paper Background: The pages written as part of this proposal will primarily represent the literature review section of a case study research project that is part of the requirements of an applied social psychology degree. I’m performing depth interviews and initiating a survey about this specific experience and will weave that content into the lit review created by your service. Case Study Background: I recently traveled on a small group river cruise specifically for LGBT travelers. The average age of the group was probably around 65. Approximately 90% of the passengers were gay males. Unfortunately, due to drought conditions, the riverboats were unable to sail down the Danube. So, after the third day of the ten-day trip, the tour operator was forced to use busses to transport travelers from destination to destination. This resulted in daily bus rides of up to 8 hours to see the sites promised in the trip documentation. The tour company was less than transparent about the issue. They did not issue pre-trip communications about the sailing conditions. And during the initial days, communication was vague at best. Once the bussing arrangements were announced, and hotel options were explained, there was a devolution of social composure. Many of the passengers were extremely angry. Anger, frustration and bitterness were ubiquitous in what seemed to me (the participant/observer) to be amplified beyond what a “normal” group may have demonstrated. Yet, at the same time, I saw wonderful friendships forming. I spoke to numerous travelers who had been on other small group LGBT trips. Almost invariably, they talked about the life long friendships they developed on these adventures. This experience inspired my thinking about several themes: Constructs for Discussion: a. The long-term social implications of growing up in a marginalized group (or perhaps specifically as LGBT). The literature on a construct called Minority Stress suggests that growing up marginalized leads members of these groups to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression. I would argue that a propensity for anxiety likely contributed to the frustration and anger experienced by many members of the group. b. Emotional Contagion within an In-Group. The literature on emotional contagion demonstrates that emotions are clearly infectious. The experience with this group made me wonder if emotions within a group of marginalized individuals (who are rarely in the majority) may be even more infectious. Or perhaps it’s less a function of marginalized groups and more a function of being in an ingroup majority. Perhaps this heightened the negative emotions of the group. c. The Role of Stereotype Threat on the Group: I wondered if stereotype threat may have had a role in the “queening out” of many of the travelers in the group. A quick summary of the construct from Wikipedia reads: “Stereotype threat is a situational predicament in which people are or feel themselves to be at risk of conforming to stereotypes about their social group. . . . According to the theory, if negative stereotypes are present regarding a specific group, group members are likely to become anxious about their performance, which may hinder their ability to perform to their full potential. Importantly, the individual does not need to subscribe to the stereotype for it to be activated. It is hypothesized that the mechanism through which anxiety (induced by the activation of the stereotype) decreases performance is by depleting working memory (especially the phonological aspects of the working memory system).” The original studies looked at the performance of African American students on standardized tests. Those students who were primed to think about racial stereotypes about academic ability did not score as well on the same exercise as those who were not primed. The cruise experience made me wonder if anxiety associated with the situation made some individuals resort to stereotypic behavior (e.g. “queening out,” responding with snappy sarcasm, etc) in the face of a stressful situation. 2) Higher Level Constructs / Implications a. Customer Service / Service Recovery with LGBT Customers – These constructs may indicate that the customer service needs of LGBT customers may vary from that of the main stream customer. For example, in a situation like the cruise, perhaps communicating with more clarity and additional transparency would have benefited the tour operator. Doing so may have avoided some of the stress implications of minority stress and stereotype threat. And by eliminating some of these primary issues, may have avoided their amplification due to emotional contagion. b. LGBT Travel as a Source of Social Support for Gay Seniors – While I know this may be a challenge to weave in, I didn’t want the focus to be completely negative. I did see many positive relationships forming despite the adversity. And in speaking to other passengers who had been on similar small group LGBT adventures, there was consensus that the positive social outcome of these voyages was extremely important to them. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how these things relate. A great deal of research shows that gay seniors can live lonely lives in the current social environment. Perhaps trips like this can serve as sources of social support that can enhance the lives of Questions to Answer: – What are the unique customer service needs of LGBT customers within the context of these constructs? – How can companies focused on this demographic improve the lives of LGBT customers is services are delivered with sensitivity to these themes? References: – References should be from peer reviewed academic / applied journals – Primary resources should stem from the social psychology (e.g. group dynamics), marketing and organizational behavior literatures. – Some limited clinical psychology literature can be integrated to discuss minority stress and the related depression/anxiety.