Accounting for Lesbian-Headed Families: Lesbian Mothers' Responses to Discursive Challenges

Jody Koenig Kellas, Elizabeth A. Suter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although lesbian mothers are often called to justify their family's legitimacy, we know little about these interactions. The current study included 44 female coparents across 10 focus groups discussing the interactive process of discursive legitimacy challenges. Using the theoretical framework of remedial accounts (Schönbach, 1990), inductive and deductive coding revealed several existing and new types of challenges, accounting strategies, and evaluations relevant to interactions of lesbian mothers. Communicative processes unique to the interactions of female coparents included challenges emerging from societal master narratives (e.g., health care, education, politics, religion); accounting strategies such as leading by example; and evaluations related to the ways in which children render the family acceptable. Findings offer strategies for coping with the discursive challenges lesbian mothers encounter.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)475-498
Number of pages24
JournalCommunication Monographs
Volume79
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Account Episodes
  • Discourse Dependent Families
  • Lesbian-Headed Families
  • Remedial Accounts

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication
  • Language and Linguistics

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