Social Identities in the 21st Century

Name: Social Identities in the 21st Century
Published: 2024-05-02
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified

Project Citation:

Risman, Barbara, and Scarborough, William. Social Identities in the 21st Century. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2024-05-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E201944V1

Project Description

Summary: These data were gathered with a grant from the National Science Foundation to Barbara J. Risman and William Scarborough, Social Identities in the 21st Century. The data were based on life-history narratives in the form of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 123 adults aged 18 and over who identify as non-binary in Midwest, West Coast, and Southern metropolitan areas. The research team used several methods to recruit participants including drawing on personal networks, connecting with LGBTQIA+ organizations at local college campuses to share information through their social media networks and at meetings, and utilizing social media, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), to inform the larger public about the study. Additional respondents were identified using snowball sampling to identify potential new participants from those who already participated. Our data collection was based on a broad conceptualization of non-binary identity with anyone who identified as between, outside, or beyond the binary eligible to participate. The identity labels that were included in recruitment materials included non-binary, genderqueer, agender, or any gender beyond the binary of man or woman.

Funding Sources: National Science Foundation (2017361)

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Gender; non-binary; genderqueer; life history; qualitative data; LGBTQ; Identity

Geographic Coverage: United States

Time Period(s): 2020 – 2022

Collection Date(s): 2020 – 2022

Universe: Our data include 123 respondents with gender identities that were not binary woman/man and whose age ranged from 18 to 50 years old, with the average respondent being almost 29 years old. They identified with diverse race/ethnicities including white (75), Black (16), Hispanic/Latinx (12), Asian (5), Multiracial (11), and indigenous (3) (one respondent chose not to share their racial identity). A number of gender identities are also represented in this sample, including participants who identify as non-binary, agender, and gender fluid, along with others who identify with various terms including two-spirit and genderqueer.

Data Type(s): other

Collection Notes: Data collection began in fall of 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, most of the interviews were conducted outside, masked and socially distanced; 17 interviews were conducted by Zoom because one university’s IRB required this option for respondents. Our interviews began in the Midwest and lasted from fall 2020 to spring 2021. In the South, interviews took place during the winter of 2021, and in the West during summer and fall of 2021. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Each interviewer also wrote fieldnotes with a reflexivity statement about the interview and attached those to the transcripts for incorporation into our data analysis. All transcripts are anonymous with only fictitious names used.

Methodology

Sampling: The research team used several methods to recruit participants including drawing on personal networks, connecting with LGBTQIA+ organizations at local college campuses to share information through their social media networks and at meetings, and utilizing social media, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), to inform the larger public about the study. Additional respondents were identified using snowball sampling to identify potential new participants from those who already participated. Our data collection was based on a broad conceptualization of non-binary identity with anyone who identified as between, outside, or beyond the binary eligible to participate. The identity labels that were included in recruitment materials included non-binary, genderqueer, agender, or any gender beyond the binary of man or woman.

Collection Mode(s): face-to-face interview

Unit(s) of Observation: Individual

Related Publications

This study is un-published. See below for other available versions.

Published Versions

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

Report a Problem

Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.

This material is distributed exactly as it arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.