Asexual lives: Everyday experiences, relationships and stories of becoming

Scott, Susie and McDonnell, Liz (2020). Asexual lives: Everyday experiences, relationships and stories of becoming. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-851821

This project sought to understand asexual identities, lifestyles and intimate practices using a Symbolic Interactionist approach. The study focused on two research questions: What does it mean to be asexual for different types of people and how do diverse asexual identities develop over time? What are the practices of intimacy for asexual people including those in relationships with asexual or sexual partners? To answer our research questions we conducted biographical narrative interviews, collected solicited diaries and diary-questionnaires. The biographical narrative interviews explored the individual’s experience of being asexual over time; the life events, experiences and relationships that shaped how participants saw themselves and the trajectory of their lives. The participant diaries collected information about the everyday practices of intimacy i.e. the events, experiences, interactions when participants felt close/intimate with someone, a pet or anything else. The third stage of data collection involved a diary-questionnaire that asked participants about their experience of doing the diary. The data was analysed in a number of ways, some of these using the computer software program NVivo 10. This research was designed in accordance with the British Sociological Association’s ethical code. Participants were given an information sheet detailing the research and were asked to sign a consent form which acknowledged their right to terminate their participation at any point. Participants were also accorded full anonymity with any identifying characteristics removed from their transcripts e.g. names, locations occupations etc.

Data description (abstract)

This data collection consists of 45 biographical narrative interviews conducted by Skype and face-to-face with participants who either self-identified as asexual, or felt the term described them in some way or who experienced little or no sexual desire/attraction. Participants were sought from online communities such as Aven – the main asexuality online community. We also advertised for research participants through local LGBTQ groups, Sussex and Glasgow Universities, libraries and relevant community centres/hotspots. In total, 50 participants were interviewed and 27 people also completed a diary. 23 people filled out the diary-questionnaire. Only 45 participants agreed that their interview data could be transferred to the UK Data Archive.

Data creators:

Creator Name	Affiliation	ORCID (as URL)
Scott Susie	University of Sussex
McDonnell Liz	University of Sussex

Sponsors:

Leverhulme Trust

Grant reference:

RPG2012575

Topic classification:

Society and culture

Keywords:

sexual identity, social behaviour, sexual behaviour, love, friendship, age, gender, identity

Project title:

Asexual Lives: everyday experiences, relationships and stories of becoming

Grant holders:

Dr Susie Scott, Dr Matt Dawson

Project dates:

From	To
1 March 2013	28 February 2015

Date published:

08 Feb 2017 16:01

Last modified:

18 Sep 2020 12:43

Coverage and Methodology

Collection period:

Date from:	Date to:
1 March 2013	28 February 2015

Geographical area:

UK, USA, Canada, Sweden and Australia

Country:

United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Sweden, Australia

Data collection method:

The sampling process involved advertising for participants through online communities such as Aven.org, local LGBTQ groups in two UK cities, an article written for Huffington Post and also hard copy adverts in local libraries and community organisations. We were keen to minimise the effects of sampling from organisations such as AVEN which in other studies had produced samples skewed towards younger women, with higher levels of education, middle class, white and American (e.g. Scherrer, 2008) so we first contacted those who were male and over the age of 30 yrs. The rest of the sample was decided by a random number generator applied to the remaining group of participants. In terms of information given in our pre interview, short demographic information form, and in relation to the whole cohort of 50 people, the majority of participants normally resided in the US (n=24) and the UK (n=20), with 3 residing in Sweden, 2 in Canada and 1 in Australia. In terms of gender identification, 33 identified as female, 8 as male, 2 as agender, 2 as androgynous, 1 as female boarding on agender, 1 as male unsure, 1 as transgender/gender fluid and 2 people did not respond to the question. The sample was relatively youthful: 23 participants were 18-23 yrs, 15 were 24-29 yrs, 7 were 30-47 yrs, 2 were 48-59 yrs and we did not have data on 3 participants. Participants were also relatively well educated with highest levels of education reported being: college/university degree (n=24), A levels (n=11), completing High School (n=10), post graduate qualification (n=3) and missing data (n=2). Participants were not ethnically diverse with 39 people describing their ethnic identity as white/Caucasian/, 2 as British, 2 as Jewish, 1 as Native American, 2 as mixed race and there was not data for 4 people. The large majority of people reported their relationship status as single (n=36), 10 people reported being in relationships, 2 in committed platonic relationships, 1 was dating and one was in a polyamorous relationship.

Observation unit:

Individual

Kind of data:

Text

Type of data:

Qualitative and mixed methods data

Resource language:

English

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