The Negotiation of Sexual Identity and Self-Presentation on Grindr by gbMSM in Ireland

In this thesis I am primarily interested in how the offline realities of life for gbMSM affect their self-presentation, interactional style and motivations for Grindr use. To examine these questions I utilise a broadly symbolic interactionist framework informed by the micro sociology of Erving Goffman. In addition to this I also incorporate discussions of authenticity; despite a seeming incongruence between Goffman’s situational sociology of performance and the common sense understanding of the authentic self as one consistent truth, I will show that authenticity benefits analytically from being constructed as situational rather than stable. This hybridised conceptual framework underpins the methodological approach to the study where data collection was grounded in specific locations across in Ireland in the form of a visual content analysis of profile images which informed a later survey which in turn served as a recruitment method for interviews with 20 Grindr users. Grindr was not only a site of enquiry but also became a research tool that made possible the collection of different types of data within a triangulated approach. The analysis of data revealed a heterogenous set of presentations, interactions, practices and experiences that were mediated through Grindr within specific contexts and defined situations. Self-presentation varied significantly across Ireland, with face pictures being seen as a key marker of visibility and symbolising an openness and attachment to a gay identity and on the surface at least, authenticity. Beneath the surface of the denotative content of these profile images is a set of negotiations and practices that are situationally contingent and informed by an attempt to manage potential stigmatisation. Perceived threats of stigmatisation include being outed if a particular user is not yet out, and kink shaming. New spaces and affordances inevitably lead to new practices. Sexting or cybersex is an emerging practice that many are engaging, sometimes as replacement for offline encounters but for others it would seem that cybersex is their primary sexual practice.