Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle (Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Psyc) [Hardcover]

Abbie E. Goldberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2010 | ISBN-10: 1433805367 | ISBN-13: 978-1433805363 | Edition: 1

The past several decades have seen increasing controversies over lesbian and gay parenthood. More same-sex couples than ever are becoming parents, while society struggles to define their legal rights pertaining to marriage and parenthood. Against this sociopolitical backdrop, how do same-sex couples transition to parenthood, and what are their experiences as parents? Furthermore, what are the experiences of their children? Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children provides a comprehensive overview of the research on same-sex parenthood, exploring ways in which lesbian and gay parents resist, accommodate, and transform fundamental notions of gender, parenting, and family. The book takes a family life cycle approach, beginning with research on how same-sex couples meet and build healthy relationships, then describing how and why same-sex couples decide to have children and how they grapple with the changing roles each partner must adopt. Their experiences raising children through young adulthood are explored, including the challenges of interacting with their children s schools and teachers. In the end, the book considers the perspectives of the children themselves as young adults and adults speak out about their experiences having lesbian or gay parents. Integrating both qualitative and quantitative research, this book incorporates a range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, sexuality/gender studies, and human development. It also highlights understudied aspects of same-sex parenting, such as termination of couple relationships. With practical recommendations in every chapter, this book is an indispensable resource for those who research lesbian and gay mental health and family issues, as well as those who provide services to lesbian and gay parents and/or parents-to-be.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 233 pages
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA); 1 edition (January 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433805367
• ISBN-13: 978-1433805363
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Parenting & Families

More About the Author

Abbie E. Goldberg is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts--Amherst and completed a clinical psychology internship at Yale Medical School. Her research has examined the transition to parenthood in diverse families, including lesbian-parent families and adoptive-parent families. In particular, her work has focused on how families' relationships and identities change across the transition to parenthood and how gender and sexual orientation figure into individuals' adjustment and experience of parenthood. In addition, she has studied the experiences of adults raised by lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents. She has received funding for her research from the National Institutes of Health, the American Psychological Association, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Williams Institute, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the Spencer Foundation.

For more information about Lesbian and Gay Parents: Research on the Family Life Cycle, visit http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4318061.aspx

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Comprehensive Review of Lesbian and Gay Parenting to Date!, November 23, 2009

By 

Dana Berkowitz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle (Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Psyc) (Hardcover)

This text should be required reading for all policymakers, lawyers, practitioners, researchers, and educators who work with families. I would recommend this text to any student interested in families, gender, or sexualities. This book can be read by a wide audience and will be a wonderful resource for prospective and active lesbian and gay parents, their children, and their children's children. With this text, Goldberg secures her status as an expert scholar in the burgeoning field of lesbian and gay family studies.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific resource for those interested in LGBT parenting, December 30, 2009

By 

L. Ross - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle (Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Psyc) (Hardcover)

Not only is it extremely well researched, but also very readable. The best resource I'm aware of in this field. Useful for researchers, clinicians,students, but also parents and family members.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars complete and clear, November 21, 2009

By 

Myrna Zaret - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle (Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Psyc) (Hardcover)

This appears to be a most complete and concise reporting and analysis on a very timely, "hot" topic. Kudos to the author for her thorough research and sensitive explication of the subject. This book is suitable for the academic community but equally for all parents, especially those of school age children, regardless of sexual preference.