THEME 2: BRESHERS & LUBBE-DE-BEER 2016
SAME-SEX PARENTED FAMILIES’ NEGOTIATION OF MINORITY
SOCIAL IDENTITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
-Post-apartheid constitution, which includes a specific prohibition against discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation. The past three decades of South African legislation have
seen a tremendous advancement in gay and lesbian rights.
Same-sex parented families in particular include access to donor insemination extending
beyond married heterosexual women in 1997.
Immigration rights to same-sex couples in 2000, the right to joint adoption by same-sex
couples in 2002, and same-sex marriage rights in 2006.
(Homophobia is still very relevant post-Apartheid this has resulted in Discrimination and
violence, Overall, more than 80% of the respondents aged 16 years and above expressed
the view that same-gender sexual behaviour is “always wrong” in each of the five survey
years)
-It is important to acknowledge the role of religious discourse in framing social attitudes
toward gay/lesbian sexual orientation, as homonegativity is often attributed to religious
beliefs.
-Anti-gay sentiment is compounded in South Africa by a strong patriarchal Christian ethic
that views same-sex sexual encounters as sinful and wrong. In this context, reaction[s]
against homosexual rights are seen, for many, as upholding religious beliefs and therefore
something to be proud of and actively encouraged.
-There is conflict between acceptance in the form of legal rights and nonacceptance reflected in the
reports of social attitudes toward gay or lesbian sexual orientation, it is imperative to explore same-
sex parents' experiences of these opposing discourses and the ways in which they negotiate their
minority social identity status in their daily lives. This is particularly important given the potential
impact of negative discourses on individual and familial identity.
Social Identity Perspective:
-Social Identity Theory = The self or self-concept can be understood beyond a PERSONAL
IDENTITY, to include SOCIAL IDENTITES. Same identities have more prestige, power, and
status compared to other groups.
-Individuals have multiple social identities, such as gender, age, religion, and race.
-Dominant status = social identity may be a positive source of self-esteem. Contrast is the
---Minority statues = positive self-esteem is harder to achieve.
Do the families' social comparisons yield positive or negative results?
, -Negative results (Social ID is not favourable) = Individuals may employ one of 3
management strategies to create a positive self-identity.
Identity Management Strategies to Create a Positive Self-Identity:
1. Social Mobility - leaving one’s social group and adopting another.
2. Social Creativity - Involves social creativity, involves changing the basis for, or aspects
of, group comparisons.
-For sexual minorities, this strategy may involve finding new dimensions by
which to compare the groups, redefining values attached to existing
comparisons, reappropriating previously derogatory terms, or positioning
oneself against subsets of one's social group (such as masculine gay men
looking down on effeminate gay men).
3. Social Competition - Involves competing directly with the dominant social group to
gain status.
-The most common forms of social competition for sexual-minority groups
are political protests, public demonstrations, and other forms of activism.
To understand how same-sex parented families experience and maintain social
identity in South Africa, we posited the following research questions:
1: What are same-sex parented families' perceptions of social attitudes toward gay/lesbian
sexual orientation in South Africa?
2: How do families negotiate social attitudes while creating/maintaining a positive family
identity?
Method:
21 parents (17 mothers + 4 fathers ages 25-56 with average age of 41, all the fathers
identified as gay, 15 mother’s lesbian, one other queer and one bisexual)
8 adolescent children
4 adult children with same-sex parents
(5 males and 7 females 12-23 average age 16, all but 3 were white, 1 cape coloured and one
black child) All children were born in heterosexual relationships and subsequently had one
parent come out as a gay or lesbian).
During the interviews, participants were asked to discuss their perceptions of social
attitudes toward gay/lesbian sexual orientation and same-sex parenting in South Africa,
what is unique about the same-sex parented family experience in South Africa, and how
they negotiate their minority social status as a same-sex parented family. Many of the
adolescents reported a lack of awareness of societal attitudes and the uniqueness of the
SAME-SEX PARENTED FAMILIES’ NEGOTIATION OF MINORITY
SOCIAL IDENTITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
-Post-apartheid constitution, which includes a specific prohibition against discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation. The past three decades of South African legislation have
seen a tremendous advancement in gay and lesbian rights.
Same-sex parented families in particular include access to donor insemination extending
beyond married heterosexual women in 1997.
Immigration rights to same-sex couples in 2000, the right to joint adoption by same-sex
couples in 2002, and same-sex marriage rights in 2006.
(Homophobia is still very relevant post-Apartheid this has resulted in Discrimination and
violence, Overall, more than 80% of the respondents aged 16 years and above expressed
the view that same-gender sexual behaviour is “always wrong” in each of the five survey
years)
-It is important to acknowledge the role of religious discourse in framing social attitudes
toward gay/lesbian sexual orientation, as homonegativity is often attributed to religious
beliefs.
-Anti-gay sentiment is compounded in South Africa by a strong patriarchal Christian ethic
that views same-sex sexual encounters as sinful and wrong. In this context, reaction[s]
against homosexual rights are seen, for many, as upholding religious beliefs and therefore
something to be proud of and actively encouraged.
-There is conflict between acceptance in the form of legal rights and nonacceptance reflected in the
reports of social attitudes toward gay or lesbian sexual orientation, it is imperative to explore same-
sex parents' experiences of these opposing discourses and the ways in which they negotiate their
minority social identity status in their daily lives. This is particularly important given the potential
impact of negative discourses on individual and familial identity.
Social Identity Perspective:
-Social Identity Theory = The self or self-concept can be understood beyond a PERSONAL
IDENTITY, to include SOCIAL IDENTITES. Same identities have more prestige, power, and
status compared to other groups.
-Individuals have multiple social identities, such as gender, age, religion, and race.
-Dominant status = social identity may be a positive source of self-esteem. Contrast is the
---Minority statues = positive self-esteem is harder to achieve.
Do the families' social comparisons yield positive or negative results?
, -Negative results (Social ID is not favourable) = Individuals may employ one of 3
management strategies to create a positive self-identity.
Identity Management Strategies to Create a Positive Self-Identity:
1. Social Mobility - leaving one’s social group and adopting another.
2. Social Creativity - Involves social creativity, involves changing the basis for, or aspects
of, group comparisons.
-For sexual minorities, this strategy may involve finding new dimensions by
which to compare the groups, redefining values attached to existing
comparisons, reappropriating previously derogatory terms, or positioning
oneself against subsets of one's social group (such as masculine gay men
looking down on effeminate gay men).
3. Social Competition - Involves competing directly with the dominant social group to
gain status.
-The most common forms of social competition for sexual-minority groups
are political protests, public demonstrations, and other forms of activism.
To understand how same-sex parented families experience and maintain social
identity in South Africa, we posited the following research questions:
1: What are same-sex parented families' perceptions of social attitudes toward gay/lesbian
sexual orientation in South Africa?
2: How do families negotiate social attitudes while creating/maintaining a positive family
identity?
Method:
21 parents (17 mothers + 4 fathers ages 25-56 with average age of 41, all the fathers
identified as gay, 15 mother’s lesbian, one other queer and one bisexual)
8 adolescent children
4 adult children with same-sex parents
(5 males and 7 females 12-23 average age 16, all but 3 were white, 1 cape coloured and one
black child) All children were born in heterosexual relationships and subsequently had one
parent come out as a gay or lesbian).
During the interviews, participants were asked to discuss their perceptions of social
attitudes toward gay/lesbian sexual orientation and same-sex parenting in South Africa,
what is unique about the same-sex parented family experience in South Africa, and how
they negotiate their minority social status as a same-sex parented family. Many of the
adolescents reported a lack of awareness of societal attitudes and the uniqueness of the
