Given the small percentage of men studying interior design versus the higher percentage of men in the profession, and misperceptions of male designers among the general public, there is a need to examine sexual identity and stereotyping in the interior design industry. While researchers have explored the experiences of gay men working ''straight jobs'' and men doing ''women's work'' (e.g., nursing, teaching), very little research to date has focused on the experience of men (gay and straight) in careers that are stereotypically identified with gay men (e.g., hairstyling, dance, flight attendance, fashion design, interior design). The purpose of this paper is to address this gap and explore how sexual orientation influences the experiences and perceptions of male interior design students and professionals. Practitioner participants were identified through membership lists of ASID and IIDA, while male interior design students were contacted through the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) ''listserv'' with faculty assistance. Potential subjects were invited to complete an online survey (30 questions for students, 32 questions for practitioners) in the spring of 2008 using SurveyGold, an online survey tool. One hundred sixteen students completed the survey (N = 116) while 51 practitioners responded (N = 51). Researchers anticipated that male interior designers encountered stereotyping regarding their sexual orientation, and that this in turn may affect their attitudes toward their career, relationships with colleagues and clients, design perspectives, and self-comfort. Survey responses generally supported these assumptions and serve to quantify and bring to light the complexity of this important and unexplored issue.The dialogue ''scenes'' used as literary framing devices in this paper are based on actual conversations that the authors have engaged in at various times with a variety of people (names have been changed). This technique is implemented to humanize the subject matter of this paper and connect readers to the people behind the text. Scene: New York City, large corporate interior design firm Characters: Brett, Ned, and Clark-3 gay men ages 27 to 32. 2 architects, 1 interior designer Brett: Clark, you've gotta check out the hot guy sitting in the reception area. It looks like he's here for an interview! Clark: Brett, can't you see I'm busy here. These drawings are due tomorrow. Is he gay? Brett: I don't know. He's just sitting there with his portfolio in his lap. He looks well-groomed. Ned: Come on guys. Don't you know that in interior design all men are gay until proven straight! 1 Introduction and PurposeGiven the small percentage of men studying interior design versus the higher percentage of men in the profession, and misperceptions of male designers, there is a need to examine and consider sexual identity and stereotyping in the industry. The Council of Interior Design Accreditation reports that less than 7% of students in accredited programs from across North America are male (CIDA, 2010) and a

Job turnover is often preceded by burnout, a psychological syndrome involving prolonged response to stressors on the job (Maslach & Leiter, 2008). This phenomenon is measured along a continuum ranging from job engaged to full burnout. Higher levels of burnout can result in turnover, excessive absenteeism, and numerous physical and emotional symptoms among employees. The purpose of this study was to assess levels of burnout among practicing interior designers, and identify both individual and situational factors relative to burnout. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-GS) was used to measure burnout and a Job Satisfaction survey gathered basic demographic and situational (job-related) information from practicing interior designers (N = 130). The voluntary and anonymous surveys were distributed via US Mail and the response rate was 52%. Results revealed that study participants were experiencing a moderate level of burnout. However, when compared with other professions, interior designers rated highest in cynicism and second only to nurses in exhaustion, as measured by the MBI-GS. Statistically significant correlations and regressions were found between burnout and the individual factors of age and years of professional practice as well as the situational factors of workload, control, reward, and fairness. The results and implications of the study are relevant to both interior design practitioners and academics and the discussion calls upon these communities to reconsider discipline-based traditions and expectations that may exacerbate burnout to keep practitioners healthy and positively engaged in the profession.

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Niche housing is one of the fastest growing segments of housing projects for elders in the United States. Folks select housing for many reasons including finances, social connections, safety, comfort, style, and services provided. This paper explores one of the latest developments, Town Hall Apartments, Chicago, created specifically to meet the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) seniors with limited income. Senior housing precedents and theories are explained and interviews with residents of the complex are analyzed. Findings provide ideas and directions for other designers to pursue when creating housing not only for LGBT seniors but other niche markets as well.

Theories of the Self abound both across and within disciplines. Following a discussion of two frameworks for understanding the Self—the essentialist and the dialogic—we explore the nature of what we call the rhizomal Self. Through autobiographical material we present a rhizomal narrative as a means of understanding the Self as narrative performance. We conclude with a brief discussion of some of the advantages of this way of conceptualizing and representing the Self.