The emergence of lesbian kinship patterns in the late twentieth century United States: A case study in Brooklyn, New York.
Item
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Title
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The emergence of lesbian kinship patterns in the late twentieth century United States: A case study in Brooklyn, New York.
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Identifier
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AAI9218263
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identifier
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9218263
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Creator
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Riley, Claire Veronica.
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Contributor
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Adviser: June Nash
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Date
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1992
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Anthropology, Cultural
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Abstract
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This dissertation documents the emergence of kinship patterns among lesbians in and around the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. These patterns include: lesbian spouse relationships; new female and male parental roles; the elimination of the social role of the biological father in those cases where children are conceived through anonymous donor insemination; kinship networks to support these patterns; and a new definition of family based upon the existence of an emotionally intimate relationship between individuals defined as family.;The dissertation suggests that lesbians are a part of a process of social change in American society in general, which includes: the growing economic independence of women; changes in parenting, especially those brought about by the new reproductive technologies; a growing urban lesbian and gay population; and the questioning of the meaning of "family" in America, particularly the shift away from an emphasis on duty, to an emphasis on meeting emotional needs within marriage and family relationships.;The dissertation also suggests that feminist theory in anthropology has been unable to analyze this new definition of family based upon emotional intimacy because feminist anthropologists have not incorporated the organization of emotional life into their theoretical frameworks on kinship and gender. It is suggested that such a perspective be included within feminist analyses of kinship and gender.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
