Single LBQ women of the baby boom planning for later life

Lavender‐Stott, Erin S.

doi:10.1080/08952841.2020.1806690

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Feminist approaches deconstruct and reconstruct previously invisible family identities and relationships, as in the case of challenging the denigration of the role of stepmother in comparison to biological mother (Sanner & Coleman, 2017). Feminist theorizing also challenges the cultural mandate that presumes that only individuals who reproduce constitute a family, and instead celebrates childfree families (Blackstone, 2019) as well as the families and close relationships of single adults as a more than viable alternative to marriage (Lavender-Stott, 2020; Sarkisian & Gerstel, 2015). Much of the literature on families and close relationships tends to focus only on the disadvantages that accrue to marginalized families, without also shining a light on their resilience, despite the difficulties they face (Anderson, 2019), or on the invisible ways that some families benefit from unearned privileges (Letiecq, 2019; McIntosh, 2020).…”

Section: Theory: Defining a Critical Feminist Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feminist theory, method, and praxis: Toward a critical consciousness for family and close relationship scholars

Allen

2022

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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Feminism provides a worldview with innovative possibilities for scholarship and activism on behalf of families and intimate relationships. As a flexible framework capable of engaging with contentious theoretical ideas and the urgency of social change, feminism offers a simultaneous way to express an epistemology (knowledge), a methodology (the production of knowledge), an ontology (one’s subjective way of being in the world), and a praxis (the translation of knowledge into actions that produce beneficial social change). Feminist family science, in particular, advances critical, intersectional, and queer approaches to examine the uses and abuses of power and the multiple axes upon which individuals and families are privileged, marginalized, and oppressed in diverse social contexts. In this paper, I embrace feminism as a personal, professional (academic), and political project and use stories from my own life to illuminate broader social-historical structures, processes, and contexts associated with gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, nationality, and other systems of social stratification. I provide a brief history and reflections on contemporary feminist theory and activism, particularly from the perspective of my disciplinary affiliation of feminist family science. I address feminism as an intersectional perspective through three themes: (a) theory: defining a critical feminist approach, (b) method: critical feminist autoethnographic research, and (c) praxis: transforming feminist theory into action. I conclude with takeaway messages for incorporating reflexivity and critical consciousness raising to provoke thought and action in the areas of personal, professional, and political change.

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Section: Theory: Defining a Critical Feminist Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feminist theory, method, and praxis: Toward a critical consciousness for family and close relationship scholars

Allen

2022

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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“…There is minimal literature on the intersection of queerness and singlehood (Catalpa & Routon, 2018; Reczek, 2020). What does exist predominantly focuses on findings partners (Sharp et al, 2011) and/or later life (Hostetler, 2009, 2012; Laner, 1979; Lavender‐Stott, 2021; Lavender‐Stott & Allen, 2023). The current paper focuses on the invisible connection between sexuality and relationship status by examining singlehood through a queer perspective.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, furthering queering inquiry into family formations and structural intimacies, can lead to a greater understanding on how constraints on queer families can impact health (Carlström & Andersson, 2019; Catalpa & Routon, 2018; Levin et al, 2020; Mackenzie, 2021; Soler et al, 2018). Acknowledging queer kinship among people who are legally and/or socially single, scholars, practitioners, and society can strengthen caregiving and care‐receiving relationships among older adults, as well as social support and policy support for all people and family structures (DePaulo, 2018; Lavender‐Stott, 2021; Rhoten et al, 2021; Scherrer, 2010). The parallel of more people who are single as well as more diverse relationship structures with people more empowered to disclose and accept gender and sexuality diversity, we need to navigate this in our scholarship, policies, and practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Queering singlehood: Examining the intersection of sexuality and relationship status from a queer lens

Lavender‐Stott

2023

J of Family Theo & Revie

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This paper uses a queer theoretical lens to redefine family boundaries and structures by exploring LGBTQIA+ and single adults' relationships through the interconnectedness of their marginalized histories. Queer theory both centers LGBTQIA+ lives and deconstructs normativities. The overlapping history of singlehood and LGBTQIA+ will be explored using examples including romantic friendships, same‐sex couples and legal marriage, family of choice, and relationship anarchy. These examples explore how LGBTQIA+ people have often been considered single or choose new interpretations of singlehood (e.g., solo polyamory). The paper also explores how single people have often been considered outside the heterosexual norm. Thus, how these lived experiences deconstruct heteronormativity and can deconstruct mononormativity, amatonormativity, and homonormativity is examined. Understanding and acknowledging family lives beyond these normativities will build toward a more inclusive family and relationship science.

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“…The women in this study defined their family relationships inclusively and broadly, naming expected and unexpected individuals as part of their inner support circles. Knowing who individuals, particularly sexual‐ and gender‐minority people, consider family is important in later life as plans regarding caregiving and care‐receiving are being considered (de Vries et al, 2022; Lavender‐Stott, 2020). It is also important for lawyers, formal caregivers, social workers, and other human service professionals to know and understand how people define family.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, a feminist perspective on aging allows for analysis of the extent to which political and social factors interact to shape the experience of aging (Connidis, 2020;Freixas et al, 2012). This work enhances our understanding of baby boom sexual minority women's lived histories as family members, within the sociohistorical context of coming of age during a time when it became more socially acceptable for women to be overtly single and not in a heterosexual relationship (Allen & Roberto, 2016;Lavender-Stott, 2020).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 96%

Not alone: Family experiences across the life course of single, baby boom sexual‐minority women

Lavender‐Stott

Allen

2022

Family Relations

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Objective As older LGBTQ+ people are less likely to be married than non‐LGBTQ+ peers and historically may have been disconnected from their families of origin, the aim of this study was to understand the family life of single sexual minority women of the baby boom cohort throughout their lives. Background Singlehood, in general, has meant not being in a heterosexual—or legally recognized—relationship; thus women in same‐sex relationships historically were considered single. As women gained more rights, single and lesbian, bisexual, and queer women have gained opportunities to live outside heterosexual marriage, financially and with regard to social acceptability. Women of the baby boom cohort, born between 1946 and 1964, came of age during this societal shift. Method Framed by feminist and life course perspectives, this study was qualitative, used semistructured interviews, and was guided by a constructivist paradigm and thematic analysis to understand how 13 older sexual minority women perceived family. Findings The women noted their connection to family of origin, then romantic relationships and partners, and currently, identify family as including biological, adopted, and chosen kin. Conclusion Single LBQ women of the baby boom cohort have relational resources through friends as family, biological kin, legal kin, and creating community. Implications More expansive understandings of family, including chosen family and invisible kin, comprise the support networks of older women who have lived outside heteronormativity.

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Single LBQ women of the baby boom planning for later life

Cited by 4 publications

References 36 publications

Feminist theory, method, and praxis: Toward a critical consciousness for family and close relationship scholars

Feminist theory, method, and praxis: Toward a critical consciousness for family and close relationship scholars

Queering singlehood: Examining the intersection of sexuality and relationship status from a queer lens

Not alone: Family experiences across the life course of single, baby boom sexual‐minority women

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