Impact of Workplace Mobbing Mental Health in the Context of Sexual Orientation and Identity

Abstract

The objective of this article is to examine mobbing, minority stress and emerging psychological effects in working life experienced as a result of sexual orientation and sexual identity. Mobbing in working life is defined as psychological harassment targeting a person or a group to exert pressure, intimidate or force to quit for various reasons. Sexual orientation and sexual identity are reasons for discrimination and mobbing in working life which derives its force from the system that is based on heterosexism. Herek defines heterosexism as an ideological system leading to the denial and stigmatization of behaviour, identities or groups that remain out of what is defined as “heterosexual”. The discordant psychological state inflicted upon the life of individuals by heterosexism is explained as “minority stress” by Meyer. With this concept, Meyer argues that minority stress as well has its important place in the issue besides psychological problems such as depression and anxiety disorders caused by mobbing based on sexual orientation and sexual identity at the workplace. Studies reveal the relationship between minority stress and internalized heterosexism which is directly associated with the former on the one side and psychological stress caused by mobbing on the otherBu makalenin amacı, çalışma hayatında cinsel yönelim ve cinsiyet kimliği nedeniyle maruz kalınan mobbingi, azınlık stresini ve ortaya çıkan psikolojik etkileri gözden geçirmektir. Mobbing, çalışma hayatında birçok farklı sebepten dolayı, baskı kurmak, yıldırmak ya da işten ayrılmaya neden olmak için bir kişinin ya da grubun u¨zerinde uygulanan psikolojik taciz olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Çalışma hayatında cinsel yönelim ve cinsiyet kimliği, kişilerin ayrımcılığa ve mobbinge maruz kalma sebepleri arasındadır ve gu¨cu¨nu¨ heteroseksizm u¨zerine kurulan sistemden alır. Herek, heteroseksizmi heteroseksu¨el olarak tanımlananın dışında kalan davranış, kimlik ya da grupların inkâr edilmesi, damgalanmasına neden olan ideolojik bir sistem olarak tanımlar. Heteroseksizmin kişilerin hayatında yarattığı uyumsuz psikolojik yapı Meyer tarafından “azınlık stresi” kavramı ile açıklanmıştır. Bu kavram ile Meyer, çalışma hayatındaki cinsel yönelim ve cinsiyet kimliğine dayalı mobbingin ortaya çıkardığı depresyon, anksiyete bozuklukları gibi psikolojik sorunların yanı sıra azınlık stresinin de önemli bir yeri olduğunu öne su¨rmektedir. Araştırmalar, azınlık stresi ve azınlık stresiyle birebir bağlantısı olan içselleştirilmiş heteroseksizmin mobbingin yarattığı psikolojik stres ile olan ilişkisini ortaya koymaktadır.Anahtar sözcu¨kler: Heteroseksizm, cinsel yönelim, cinsiyet kimliği azınlık stresi, ayrımcılık, mobbing, ruh sağlığı.Impact of Workplace Mobbing Mental Health in the Context of Sexual Orientation and IdentityThe objective of this article is to examine mobbing, minority stress and emerging psychological effects in working life experienced as a result of sexual orientation and sexual identity. Mobbing in working life is defined as psychological harassment targeting a person or a group to exert pressure, intimidate or force to quit for various reasons. Sexual orientation and sexual identity are reasons for discrimination and mobbing in working life which derives its force from the system that is based on heterosexism. Herek defines heterosexism as an ideological system leading to the denial and stigmatization of behaviour, identities or groups that remain out of what is defined as “heterosexual”. The discordant psychological state inflicted upon the life of individuals by heterosexism iexplained as “minority stress” by Meyer. With this concept, Meyer argues that minority stress as well has its important place in the issue besides psychological problems such as depression and anxiety disorders caused by mobbing based on sexual orientation and sexual identity at the workplace. Studies reveal the relationship between minority stress and internalized heterosexism which is directly associated with the former on the one side and psychological stress caused by mobbing on the other.Key words: Heterosexism, sexual orientation, sexual identity related minority stress, discrimination, mobbing, mental health.