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LGBTQ identity is influenced by different sources, family, peers, culture, and community all play their roles in identity development. Although throughout their journey they have to worry not only about accepting themselves but whether the community would accept them as well. That is why sociocultural factors play a vital role in this social group.
In a broad sense, sociocultural factors are a culture of the country or a nation, and the society in which the person lives. The theory was conducted by psychologist Lev Vygotsky who believed that parents, caregivers, peers, and the culture at large are responsible for developing higher-order functions (Cherry, 2022, para. 4). Thus, developing as an individual is developing on the ground of beliefs and perceptions which appears as more social than intimate experience.
Although in order to be embraced or rejected by society, firstly, the LGBTQ person has to be aware of their identity and embrace themselves. According to Hall et al. (2021) who examine studies dedicated to identity development, common milestones of sexual minorities include becoming aware of queer attractions, questioning ones sexual orientation, self-identifying as LGB+, coming out to others, engaging in sexual activity, and initiating a romantic relationship (p. 1). Although the steps might differ, the key points of becoming aware and coming out are stable and inevitable to the queer person. At this point, the sociocultural factors play their role.
Why is a person queer? The experts divide into two camps: one wing considers sexual orientation an inherited trait, which can not be chosen or switched, and others believe that people have an ability to change the focus of their sexual preferences from one gender to another. According to Cook (2020), homosexuality is caused by the absence or distant behavior of the parent of the opposite sex. Regardless of the cause, identity develops and seeks acceptance. The matter of acceptance is the key point. Many homosexual people have to hide their true identity because of the social hatred of some social stratum. Gomes et al. (2020) believe that individuals living in rural areas, older people, individuals who consider themselves religious, those who do not have contact with LGBT, those with lower academic qualifications, and, lastly, individuals working in a secondary sector are more homophobic (p. 3). For this matter, many homosexual people succumb to social pressure, without expressing their true selves.
The importance of coming out cant be overestimated. Ong et al. (2021) write that, for LGBTQ people, self-acceptance and coming out to others improves ones positive sense of self and health (p. 2). This is quite intelligible, as the LGBTQ people can even hate themselves, due to their religious or traditionalist beliefs. In a different scenario, when the person embraces their sexuality but receives backlash while coming out, has the same harmful effect on the individual. Repressing the identity due to homophobia causes stress, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide attempts.
However, if a homosexual person is embraced, it gives a favorable ground for a healthy emotional state and self-expression.
Whether visible or not, sociocultural factors are part of the development of an LGBTQ identity. While the nature of homosexuality is still a cause of debate, the development of homosexual identity is already known and clear. The main obstacles to the development of LGBTQ identity are unfavorable sociocultural factors which are either ignorance on the subject, or certain cultural, social, or religious restrictions and beliefs towards the matter. In any case, a homophobic society does not exclude homosexual people, just makes their existence harder.
References
Cherry, K. (2022). What is sociocultural theory? Verywell Mind. Web.
Cook, C. C. (2021). The causes of human sexual orientation. Theology & Sexuality, 27(1), 1-19. Web.
Gomes, M., Assunção, S., Azevedo, S., & Teixeira, C. M. (2020). The influence of sociocultural factors on attitudes towards homosexuality: Comparative study. PsychTech & Health Journal, 2(2), 3-16. Web.
Ong, C., Tan, R. K. J., Le, D., Tan, A., Tyler, A., Tan, C., Kwok, C., Banerjee, S., & Wong, M. L. (2021). Association between sexual orientation acceptance and suicidal ideation, substance use, and internalised homophobia amongst the pink carpet Y cohort study of young gay, bisexual, and queer men in Singapore. BMC Public Health, 21(971), 1-11. Web.
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