Negotiating Lesbian Family Identity via Symbols and Rituals
Elizabeth A. Suter1*,
Karen L. Daas2,
and
Karla Mason Bergen3
1 University of Denver, Colorado
2 The University of Texas at San Antonio
3 College of Saint Mary, Omaha, NE
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: esuter{at}du.edu.
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Abstract |
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This study reports how lesbian families negotiate their family identities via symbols and rituals. Sixteen couple interviews were conducted with lesbian co-mothers (for a total of 32 participants) who had their children via donor insemination in the contexts of their current same-sex relationships. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. Framed by symbolic interactionism, this study reports how these families negotiated affirmation and disconfirmation of their identities when interacting with families of origin, social networks, sperm donors, and community institutions.
