Free to Live their Lives as they Wish? : The Social Well-Being Gap between Persons in Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Relationships in Europe

M.M. Fischer

In this dissertation, I argue that the way well-being of sexual minorities is thought of in society and science is quite narrow. This has in part to do with the kind of research that is conducted among this population. It is not a coincidence that the first thing that enters people's mind regarding sexual minorities are topics like HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases or mental health problems since these are the dominant topics in research about them. Social scientific knowledge and a social group's standing in society inform each other. It is therefore crucial to broaden the definition of well-being in research of sexual minorities to include positive aspects