Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-90).

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-147). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Societal pressures have led to social and legal policy changes that have resulted in fertility clinics increasingly permitting lesbians access to their services. Therefore, lesbian women are able to conceive their children and create their families in ways that historically were not available to them. While some research has been conducted examining the needs, experiences, and issues faced by lesbian-led families in general, there is a dearth of research that exclusively explores lesbian couples who conceived their children through the use of anonymous donor insemination. The qualitative method that guided this research was interpretive interactionism. Interviews were conducted with 10 couples who self-identified as lesbian, chose to have their children while in their lesbian relationships, and conceived their children through the use of anonymous donor insemination. Analysis of the transcripts revealed that four themes shaped, constructed, represented, and gave meaning to these unique family configurations. These four themes are (a) conception options of two women, (b) two women parenting, (c) anonymous donors/not fathers, and (d) families with lesbian mothers. These themes are elaborated in terms of their implications for lesbian-led families, clinical practice, and future research. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This thesis is a hermeneutic phenomenological study of the concept of disclosure in maternity care contexts using the example of sexual orientation. There is a significant body of literature within psychology and sociology relating to the health and social purposes and consequences of disclosure. There is a further body of outcomes-focused evidence relating to disclosure of sexual orientation in health care. There is, however, little research undertaken into the disclosure of sexual orientation in pregnancy as an action with motive and purpose. This study aimed to address this issue. The study employed unstructured interviews with eight lesbian mothers, seven of whom were birth mothers and one was a social mother. The hermeneutic method used an iterative process of analysis integrating researcher pre-understandings, thematic analysis of individual interview transcripts and broader analysis of the individual interview data within the total interview data, exploring the parts within the whole. The aim was to identify the shared meaning of disclosure for the participants Data analysis resulted in five main themes: being invisible/visible; being upfront; being me; being entitled; being safe. An additional finding was the process of managing negativity through strategies such as rationalisation. Three encompassing concepts were identified: protection; power; and identity. Two motivations for disclosure were also identified: pro-action and altruism The thesis concludes that disclosure is a motivated and purposeful act which has real meaning and consequences. It makes extensive recommendations for midwifery practice including acknowledging the disclosure, understanding the legal complexity, and recognising the lesbian family. Recommendations for policy suggest having explicit and detailed policies that include information about how to be inclusive rather than only abstract concepts of inclusion. Recommendations for research include qualitative and quantitative research with midwives about attitudes and knowledge as well as research exploring the role of the social mother in promoting family health outcomes.

Lesbian-identified women are choosing to become parents in increasing numbers. This 'lesbian baby boom' has implications for midwives and their practice. The purpose of this study was to gain insight and understanding of planned pregnancy from a lesbian perspective, in order to facilitate the provision of appropriate care for lesbian mothers and their families.The methodology used for the study was radical hermeneutics informed by lesbian feminism and queer poststructuralism. Purposive sampling identified ten lesbian-identified mothers and conversational interviews with the participants yielded rich data about the phenomenon of inquiry. Thematic analysis of the data was foregrounded by a discussion of the socio-political context.A number of findings emerged from the study. Careful pre-conceptual planning reflected a highly responsible approach to parenting. The women's partners felt uncertain about their parenting role and experienced a lack of acknowledgement by the wider community. Despite legal access to assisted fertility, the participants usually sought an involved father for their child. Lesbian mothers expressed a preference for a lesbian midwife and all experienced homophobic attitudes from healthcare professionals. Queer families included mothers and their partners, fathers and their partners, children, families-of-origin, and close friends.Recommendations from the study include the provision of safe and supportive workplaces for lesbian-identified midwives, the use of inclusive language such as partner and parent, acknowledgement of the woman's partner as a co-parent, midwifery resources featuring same-sex parents and midwifery education covering diverse family forms.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Jan. 9, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-54).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--York University, 1998. Graduate Programme in Social Work. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-205). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ39237

Lesbian-identified women are choosing to become parents in increasing numbers. This 'lesbian baby boom' has implications for midwives and their practice. The purpose of this study was to gain insight and understanding of planned pregnancy from a lesbian perspective, in order to facilitate the provision of appropriate care for lesbian mothers and their families.The methodology used for the study was radical hermeneutics informed by lesbian feminism and queer poststructuralism. Purposive sampling identified ten lesbian-identified mothers and conversational interviews with the participants yielded rich data about the phenomenon of inquiry. Thematic analysis of the data was foregrounded by a discussion of the socio-political context.A number of findings emerged from the study. Careful pre-conceptual planning reflected a highly responsible approach to parenting. The women's partners felt uncertain about their parenting role and experienced a lack of acknowledgement by the wider community. Despite legal access to assisted fertility, the participants usually sought an involved father for their child. Lesbian mothers expressed a preference for a lesbian midwife and all experienced homophobic attitudes from healthcare professionals. Queer families included mothers and their partners, fathers and their partners, children, families-of-origin, and close friends.Recommendations from the study include the provision of safe and supportive workplaces for lesbian-identified midwives, the use of inclusive language such as partner and parent, acknowledgement of the woman's partner as a co-parent, midwifery resources featuring same-sex parents and midwifery education covering diverse family forms.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- La Trobe University, 2006. / Research. "A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy [to the] School of Public Health, (Australian Research Centre in Sex, health and Society), Faculty of health Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria". Title of digital version: Beyond Choice : Family and Kinship in the Australian lesbian and gay 'baby boom'. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-335). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (D. Phil.(Educational Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2005. / Paper copy accompanied by a CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.