At the Interface: Lesbian-Parent Families and Their Children's Schools

Broadening the definition of “family” and creating social institutions and programs that deal with all children and diverse families in a supportive, inviting manner is critical. Schools, as institutions, play a central role in the socialization of children's identity and behavior and reproduce...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Children & schools 2003-01, Vol.25 (1), p.35-47
Main Authors: Mercier, Lucy R., Harold, Rena D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Child Custody
Child Development
Children & youth
Community Relations
Definitions
diversity
Education
Educational Environment
families
Families & family life
Family (Sociological Unit)
Family School Relationship
Females
Gays & lesbians
Gender Discrimination
Heterosexuality
Homosexual Parents
Information Networks
Interpersonal Relationship
Interviews
Lesbianism
lesbians
Parent participation
Parent Role
Parent School Relationship
parents
Parents & parenting
Politics of Education
Questionnaires
Sampling
School Districts
School Effectiveness
School Social Work
Schools
Semi Structured Interviews
Sexual Orientation
Social Attitudes
Socialization
Society
Students
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Broadening the definition of “family” and creating social institutions and programs that deal with all children and diverse families in a supportive, inviting manner is critical. Schools, as institutions, play a central role in the socialization of children's identity and behavior and reproduce dominant cultural norms. Thus, the intersection between schools and families in the community is especially important to families headed by lesbian parents. This article reports on data collected in face-to-face qualitative interviews about the relationships between lesbian-parent families and their children's schools. The central focus is on themes and issues identified by parents as important in the lives of their families as they interacted with schools. These interactions provide information about successful and failed strategies to integrate lesbian-parent families into their children's schools and potential interventions with individuals and communities.
ISSN:1532-8759
1545-682X
DOI:10.1093/cs/25.1.35