Authenticating Family
Re/claiming legitimacy by the lesbian headed stepfamily
Introduction & MethodsThe traditional family, two heterosexual parents and their children, is gradually becoming the minority status form in Canada (Weber, 2008). The changing family reflects the reality that family as a unit is not static but rather evolves in response “to social, political, economic, legal and historical pressures” (Wilde, 2007, p. 4). While there is an abundance of literature regarding families, the lesbian headed stepfamily remains noticeably absent. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the process of becoming a lesbian headed stepfamily in the 21st century. The results of this study found that these families strive to authenticate their identity as a family while having their legitimacy called into question as they interact with people who ignore or fail to acknowledge that two lesbians and their children are indeed a family.
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The methodology used to guide data analysis in this study was grounded theory. The purpose of grounded theory is to generate middle-range theories or models that contribute to understanding human behavior in a given context and in response to a specific situation. Face-to-face interviews with 16 families who self-identified as lesbian headed step-families living within the three Maritime Provinces of Canada and who spoke English were conducted, audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim.
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Findings - The Authenticating Family Model
In Authenticating Family, the basic social problem is the perceived legitimacy of the family unit. Legitimacy is the sense of feeling valued, accepted as normal, and being measured by the same standards as other families in society.
Stage 1: Accepting the Challenge
The process of moving a relationship that includes children forward despite the complexity and lack of lesbian-headed family role models. This stage can be complicated by the coming-out process in some cases.
Stage 1: Accepting the Challenge
The process of moving a relationship that includes children forward despite the complexity and lack of lesbian-headed family role models. This stage can be complicated by the coming-out process in some cases.
- Jumping In: Taking a chance that the euphoria present in the early relationship will support the magnitude of commitment necessary for the family
- Negotiating Expectations: Working together, family members begin to establish acceptable parameters for their relationships
- Refocusing: Coming to terms with the new family configuration and assimilating many changing realities in the process
Stage 2: Building the Bonds
The process of creating new relationships among members of the family, and the first steps towards interacting with people outside the family.
Stage 3: Thriving
The process of gaining and/or solidifying family legitimacy while coping with interactions that continue to inform the development of coping skills and strategies.
The process of creating new relationships among members of the family, and the first steps towards interacting with people outside the family.
- Getting Acquainted: Assessing each other’s strengths and limitations, personalities, and finding balance in the roles of members of the family
- Making History: Working together in various configurations over time to cement legitimacy as a family (ex: stepmother spending one-on-one time with children)
- Trialing Recognition: Realizing the strength of the bonds created and making the first conscious efforts at interacting with those outside the family
Stage 3: Thriving
The process of gaining and/or solidifying family legitimacy while coping with interactions that continue to inform the development of coping skills and strategies.
- Confronting the three-headed monster: Dispelling myths, educating, and facing and protecting against stigma, homophobia, and heterosexism
- Seeing our family the way we created it: Explaining and normalizing the family to outsiders such that the family configuration is acknowledged as legitimate
A limitation of this research study is that all participants identified as having a Eurocentric Christian background. Further research is needed that includes diverse populations in order to understand the impact of additional layers of oppression.
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Discussion & ImplicationsThe important factors that influence how well the families became integrated in authenticating family are: support, heterosexism, and most importantly the age of the children. According to Schmeekle et. al. (2006) younger children respond better to changes in family configuration than older children. Support from family and friends reinforced the sense of legitimacy needed to move forward for members of the family (Edwards, 2002). The findings of authenticating family demonstrate the negative impact that long-standing dominant heterosexism has on the ability of the members of the lesbian headed stepfamily to maintain their sense of legitimacy. Healthcare providers must do what they can to decrease heteronormative practices that serve to discriminate and silence by being open to and conveying acceptance of all types of family formations.
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Conclusion
- Disclosure of lesbian identity is not a one-time event: the family will continue to find themselves in situations requiring decisions about disclosure throughout their lifetimes.
- Heterosexism has the power to silence. Marginalization due to heterosexism has a cumulative effect for adolescents. They exhibit increasing signs of stress and poor mental health unless accepted within their communities and by peers.
- Families, regardless of their sexual identity or configuration, need to be acknowledged as legitimate.
Citing this Article
Rickards, T. (2013). Authenticating family: Re/claiming legitimacy by the lesbian headed stepfamily. PhD Dissertation, Dalhousie University
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