Choices, Challenges, and Tensions
نویسندگان
چکیده
No research has examined the challenges faced by lesbian women seeking to adopt from the perspective of lesbian couples themselves. The current qualitative study utilized data from 70 women (from 35 same-sex couples) who were in the process of adopting to explore how lesbian women experience and navigate the challenges they encounter during this critical life transition. Ecological, minority stress, and feminist perspectives informed our analysis. Results indicated that many women experienced tensions between their desire to be “out” in the adoption process and the legal and social realities of adoption. Based on their reports, women in this sample faced numerous barriers to adopting but engaged in multiple forms of resistance to legal and social inequities. Women also identified supportive practices by agencies that facilitated the adoption process. Findings suggest the importance of considering lesbian women’s experiences as a starting point in understandAbbie E. Goldberg is Assistant Professor (E-mail: [email protected]), Jordan B. Downing is a Graduate Student (E-mail: [email protected]), and Christine C. Sauck is a Graduate Student (E-mail: [email protected]); all in the Department of Psychology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610. The authors are grateful to Amanda G. Harp, who assisted in data collection. This research would not be possible without the support of a grant from the American Psychological Foundation. Adoption Quarterly, Vol. 10(2) 2007 Available online at http://aq.haworthpress.com © 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved. doi:10.1300/J145v10n02_02 33 D o w n l o a d e d A t : 1 7 : 2 2 2 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 ing how heteronormative social practices shape the experiences of same-sex couples striving to adopt. doi:10.1300/J145v10n02_02 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.]
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