This study makes an attempt to understand and theorize lesbian parenthood focusing on the non-birth mother. Someone who has not got much exposure in society not academia, so the study tries to analyse these women's experiences of becoming a mother and continuously living as one in the swedish society. This has been conducted through interviews with three informants, who all define themselves as women and mothers living in a same-sex relationship. The thesis explores these women's experiences through two perspectives,  intersectionality and social constructivism, and being analysed by the concept comprehensible parenthood. The study has shown through the experiences of the informants that they face other struggles as parents than those following a normative parenthood. Furthermore, the analytical tool intersectionality has shown that the concept parenthood could be seen as a spectrum, which depicts a diversity among the informants in this study and other parents in the swedish society.

The purpose of this essay is to examine how same-sex couples experience the second-parent adoption process. To assist us, we have used our questions: how do the couples describe their experiences of the adoption process? Which are the couples’ stories about the experience of contact with the involved professionals? What are the opportunities and barriers for same-sex couples to start a family? How do the couples describe their experience of reactions from the community and society, and how do they think the future will look like for same-sex couples? This study has been achieved through a qualitative approach. The empirical data is based on seven semi-structured interviews with same-sex couples or pair members that want to or have had a second-parent adoption. The theory we have used for analyzing the results is phenomenology with focus on queer theory, heteronormativity, and power. We conclude that the couples’ experiences of the second-parent adoption process is that it is a long, time-consuming, and emotionally consuming process. They question why they have to go through with an adoption process. The couples think of it only as a legal security to their child. They have experienced varying treatment in the contact with professionals. The course of action has been different for all our seven couples: home insemination in Sweden, insemination at clinic in Denmark, and surrogacy in India. One clear result is that it is more difficult for gay men to start a family than for lesbians. The couples have mostly received positive responses and a lot of support from their surroundings. Despite that, they are worried about the negative view of homosexuality that is increasing in the world.

This thesis analyses social worker’s assessments of appropriate same-sex parenthood in the case of second-parent adoption in Sweden to thereby investigate the governmentality directed toward same-sex parents and how this governing practise normalises certain discourses on parenthood. The material consists of interviews with social workers conducting second-parent adoptions, which have been analysed through a discourse analysis deploying theoretical frameworks on governmentality, heteronormativity and family theory. The thesis has provided a deeper understanding of the effects of normative discourses on the exercise of public authority in the case of second-parent adoption. Great differences have been found among which criteria are used to condition same-sex parenthood and the impact of social workers own perceptions of suitable parenthood and the purpose of the assessment process.

ABSTRACT In the year 2003 and 2005, several legislative changes were made to same-sex couples advantage. Among other things, lesbian couples were given the right to be tested as adoptive parents and the possibility of assisted reproduction through the county councils. With such changes in law, society and family constellations are evolving today with more forms than the existing nuclear family. Similarly, the choice of approaches to forming a family in a same-sex relationship increases, two alternatives outside the county Council's assisted conception are; Insemination by clinic in another country or home insemination with private donated sperm. When insemination in same-sex relationship occurs at home or by clinic in another country, subsequent paternity investigations and Related adoption are required for the non-biological mother to be considered as legal parent, an investigation requested by the District Court and operated by Social Service in each municipality. With the possibility of same-sex couples to be tested as adoptive parents also follows expectations about the investigation procedure and its guidelines as a partner in the development. The aim of this study is to try to create a synthesized knowledge about the investigation process of paternity investigation and Related adoption, when it occurs in same-sex relationship. This by jointly trying to understand the experiences of women and Social workers ' in the investigation process and its content. The study is based on qualitative interviews with both women who have undergone the process and social secretaries who dealt with these cases. The result is a dominant shared experience of unclear guidelines where there is a demand for nuanced legislation and updated dossiers. / SAMMANFATTNING Under år 2003 och år 2005 gjordes flera lagförändringar till samkönade pars fördel. Bland annat fick lesbiska par rätt till att prövas som adoptivföräldrar och möjlighet till assisterad befruktning via landstingen. Med sådana lagändringar utvecklas samhället och familjekonstellationer idag har fler former än den ännu rådande kärnfamiljen. Likaså ökar valmöjligheterna av tillvägagångssätt för att bilda familj i en samkönad relation, två alternativ utanför landstingets assisterade befruktning är; insemination via utrikesklinik eller heminsemination med privat donerade spermier. När insemination i samkönad relation sker hemma eller på utrikesklinik krävs efterföljande faderskapsutredning och närståendeadoption för att den icke bärande mamman ska betraktas som juridisk förälder, en utredning som begärs av tingsrätten och som drivs av familjerätten i respektive kommun. Ju med samkönade pars rätt till att prövas som adoptivföräldrar följer också förväntningar kring utredningsförfarandet och dess riktlinjer som medpart i utvecklingen. Syftet med denna studie är att försöka skapa en syntetiserad kunskap kring utredningsförfarandet av faderskapsutredning och närståendeadoption, när det sker i samkönad relation. Detta genom att gemensamt försöka förstå kvinnors och familjerättssekreterares upplevelser av utredningsprocessen och dess innehåll. Studien baseras på kvalitativa intervjuer med både kvinnor som genomgått processen och familjerättssekreterare som handlagt dessa ärenden. I resultatet framkommer en dominerande gemensam upplevelse av otydliga riktlinjer där det finns en efterfrågan om nyanserad lagstiftning och uppdaterade underlag.

Options and possibilities for lesbian parents have changed fundamentally since the turn of the millennium. A legal change in 2003 enabled a same-sex couple  to share legal parenthood of the same child. An additional legal change, in 2005, gave lesbian couples access to fertility treatment within public healthcare in Sweden. The present thesis focuses on families where two women share legal parenthood of their children. It aims to provide knowledge about lesbian parenting couples and their children, and to focus on the interplay between family members within lesbian families, and between family members and their surroundings. Furthermore, the thesis aims to visualize and analyse notions of heteronormativity and homonormativity in contemporary Sweden. The thesis draws on interviews with 118 parents in 61 families, and 12 children in 11 families. The participants’ stories, descriptions, reflections and discourses have been analysed using discursive psychology and thematic analysis. The thesis includes five empirical papers. Paper I focuses on encounters with healthcare professionals prior to and during pregnancy, at childbirth and during the early stages of parenthood. Paper II deals with the participants’ experiences of second-parent adoption processes. Paper III focuses on equality in parenting relations. Paper IV focuses on encounters with fertility clinics within public healthcare. Paper V highlights the children’s reflections and shows how the children talk about fathers and donors. / För lesbiska par har förutsättningarna för föräldraskap förändrats i grunden sedan millennieskiftet. År 2003 möjliggjorde en lagändring att ett barn kan ha två rättsliga föräldrar av samma kön. Ytterligare en lagändring öppnade år 2005 möjligheten för lesbiska par att få barn genom assisterad befruktning inom svensk sjukvård. I avhandlingen fokuseras familjer där två kvinnor delar det rättsliga föräldraskapet om sina gemensamma barn. Studien syftar till att bredda kunskaper om lesbiska familjeliv och fokuserar samspelet mellan familjemedlemmar såväl som samspelet mellan familjen och dess omgivning. Vidare syftar studien till att synliggöra och analysera uttryck för heteronormativitet och homonormativitet i dagens Sverige. Studien bygger på intervjuer med 118 föräldrar i 61 familjer och 12 barn i 11 familjer. Deltagarnas berättelser, beskrivningar, reflektioner och diskurser analyseras med diskursiv psykologi och tematisk analys. Avhandlingen består av fem empiriska artiklar och en kappa. I Artikel I analyseras föräldrarnas berättelser om att möta sjukvården i samband med graviditet och förlossning. Artikel II belyser deltagarnas berättelser om att genomgå en närståendeadoption. I Artikel III fokuseras hur föräldrarna pratar om jämställdhet i sina föräldraroller. Artikel IV analyserar intervjuer med föräldrar som vänt sig till svensk sjukvård för fertilitetsbehandling. I Artikel V, är det barnen som står i fokus. Studien bygger på intervjuer med tolv barn som var mellan 5 och 8 år gamla och växte upp i familjer med två mammor. I artikeln analyseras barnens beskrivningar av pappor och spermadonatorer.