The family as gender and sexuality factory: A review of the literature and future directions

Abstract

Early theorists understood the family as a key institution in the production of gender and sexuality. In this paper, I trace the development of this line of thought and review parents' role in shaping children's gender and sexuality over the life course. I first describe the three most prominent theoretical frameworks used to locate parents in these studies: psychoanalysis, socialization, and interactional approaches. In doing so, I illuminate the contributions of each theory to sociological thought on children's gender and sexuality while pointing to weaknesses with psychoanalysis and socialization. I then discuss how parents influence children's development and performance of gender and heterosexuality, paying attention to variations based on race, class, gender, and sexuality. Based on the current state of the literature, I suggest that we sociologists should diversify our methodological approaches in this area, attend to how changes in families correspond to changes in parents' role in shaping children's gender and sexuality, and grapple with how children's performances of gender and sexuality influence parents' performances of gender and sexuality.

Parent–adult child estrangement in the United States by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality

“…Notably, no significant differences were observed in the odds of estrangement from mothers by sexuality, suggesting that mothers maintain more intact ties with their adult children even when adult children identify as sexual minorities, another finding suggesting greater solidarity in the maternal-adult child bond. This is again consistent with qualitative work showing that mothers are more accepting than fathers of a non-heterosexual sexuality and that fathers can be particularly homophobic and biphobic toward their children (Reczek, 2020;Stacey, 2021), likely leading to increased fissures in this intergenerational tie. Future work should continue to explore how sexuality shapes parent-adult child ties in adulthood to include potential considerations of estrangement.…”

“…Further, gay and lesbian individuals have greater geographic distance from parents relative to other sexual identity groups, suggesting less secure ties (Levine, 2022). Given this large body of work, it is likely that LGB adults are more likely to experience estrangement from parents than heterosexual children, and this may be especially true for the paternal tie given research showing that fathers are more likely to have homophobic reactions to their children than mothers (Bucher, 2014; Stacey, 2021; Stacey & Padavic, 2021).…”

Aunties, Aunts, and Tías: The Forgotten Othermother Supporting and Housing LGBTQ Youth

“…Othermothers and aunts already queer or destabilize the heteronormative nuclear family by expanding the family beyond the parent-child relationship (Gumbs 2016; hooks 1984; Khubchandani 2022). As already outside of the nuclear family—where cisheteronormativity may be enforced most strongly (Stacey 2021)—othermothers and aunts can also actively challenge the homophobia and transphobia that may occur in a youth’s natal home. Othermothers and aunts can become an essential support system for LGBTQ youth.…”

Alcohol consumption in the context of the covid-19 pandemic

“…In psychology, but especially in the area of educational psychoanalysis, specialists have paid increasing attention to the social environment of children's formation and development, highlighting the key role of early socialization processes in the primary family (Stacey, 2021;Tutt, 2022). The impact of a toxic and violent environment shows why future adults become sure victims of failure in life, and, unfortunately, they are transformed in the image of their parents.…”