Lesbian M/Otherhood: strategies of familial-linguistic management in lesbian parent families

In this article I examine how parental identities are negotiated in lesbian parent families. I argue that lesbian mothers’ extraordinary maternity is not dependent on a feminist egalitarian ethic but instead comes from families’ strategic articulation of same-sex parenthood, whereby gender is done and undone in multiple and contradictory ways. Focusing attention onto the ‘other (non-biological) mother’, I suggest that her lack of social status and (progenitor) maternal role disrupts simple readings of gendered parenthood. I demonstrate that children’s creative familial-linguistic management of ‘family’ facilitates an inclusive conceptual framework, representing families as process. The data cited in this article comes from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 18 lesbian mothers and 13 of their children, who live across the Yorkshire region in the UK

Thinking through sexuality

Summary: This article is a discussion piece on the idea of ‘sexuality’ within social work. The author discusses dominant models of sexuality – including those within anti-discriminatory practice theory – before going on to raise a number of problems with this perspective. The article draws upon queer, feminist and Foucaultian theories to suggest less restrictive ways of thinking through sexuality and social work. • Findings: Social work has a tendency to define ‘sexuality’ as an essential identity with a fixed set of characteristics and social welfare ‘needs’. This article argues for a reflexive account of sexuality within social work, and for the investigation of the production and use of sexuality categories within everyday professional settings. • Applications: The author discusses the assessment of sexuality in cases of foster care or adoption applications by lesbians or gay men in order to highlight the practical application of these ideas. The article discusses why new ways of thinking through sexuality may be productive for social work