Citation

Berkowitz D. J. Fam. Theory Rev. 2009; 1(3): 117-132.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, National Council on Family Relations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1756-2589.2009.00017.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research on lesbian and gay parenting has stimulated theoretical advancement in family studies. Subjective understandings of lesbian and gay parents offer scholars a novel lens through which to view identity construction, management, and negotiation. Triggered by a recent queer shift in family research, however, some lesbian and gay parenting scholarship has begun to critique identity theories as constructing hegemony around the identity “gay” or “lesbian” in that they assume a uniform subject. Queer theory challenges the foundations of identity scholarship; unpacks the assumptions that underlie research on families, gender, and sexualities; and deconstructs how the rubric of difference has framed and limited existing knowledge. I conclude with suggestions for complicating and expanding queer theory.