Redefining Family by Dawn Shinew; Deborah Thomas-Jones

Redefining Family

An In-Depth Exploration Of Youth With Lesbian Parents

Dawn Shinew; Deborah Thomas-Jones

While there has been considerable research on lesbian and/or gay parenting, very little research has focused on how the children of lesbian and gay parents negotiate between their family identity and the definitions of family imposed by society. Families headed by gay and lesbian parents do not fit into a ‘traditional’, ideologically-driven definition of family – rendering them virtually invisible due to their lack of representation in the media, school curriculum, and ‘normal’ society. This book is an exploration of the concept of family as it was defined by six early adolescents and their lesbian parents. In an era with increased political and social tension surrounding issues of gay and lesbian marriage rights and validity for same sex parents, this qualitative study explored how these youth experience the disjunctures between their family identity and the definitions of family imposed by the larger society. The authors of this study, informed by queer theory and inquiry, conclude that identity is not realized through definitive and rigid boundaries but within and between these locations. This book is addressed to counselors, educators, and researchers interested in understanding, and even promoting, social justice for those living in diverse family structures.

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Details

ISBN 9783836427142
Genre Parenting & Families; LGBT Studies/Social Sciences
Publication Date 01-Nov-07
Publisher VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller e.K.
Format Trade Paperback
No. of Pages 180
Language English
Rating NotRated
Subject Children’s Non-Fiction; Psychology
BookID 10566

Author: LFWBooks