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Lo IPY, Liu EH, Lai DWL, Yan E. Intimate networks of care: Perceptions of intergenerational family care and experiences of ageing among Chinese midlife and older lesbians and gay men. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2024; 46:762-779. [PMID: 38078806 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
This article examines how lesbians and gay men imagine and build their 'intimate networks of care' and negotiate moral expectations towards intergenerational family care as they age. To date, little is known about the strength and complexities of different intimate ties or the role of intergenerational dynamics in shaping ageing sexual minority people's care needs and choices. Based on narrative interviews with ageing Chinese lesbians and gay men, the findings reveal their experiences of constantly juggling their ties with families of origin, moral values around intergenerational care and the urge to receive support from and offer support to chosen networks of people. Participants exercised agency in expanding their networks of care by building friendship and (online and offline) community networks for mutual care and support in later life. Nevertheless, as evidenced by the centrality of ageing with(out) children, and the moral obligation of caring for parents in participants' narratives, participants experienced tensions between enacting what was considered morally right/wrong and developing networks of care that were perceived as emotionally intimate. Linking relational sociology with the sociology of morality, we discuss the conceptual utility of 'intimate networks of care' for sociological theorising of the linkages between sexuality, care and relational lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Po Yee Lo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Emma H Liu
- Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel W L Lai
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Elsie Yan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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Pu Y, Xu W. Parenting Desire Among Sexual Minority Women in China: From the Stigma Perspective. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:293-306. [PMID: 37620669 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02682-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
In China, women who are childless or have children outside of heterosexual marriage are generally stigmatized. Consequently, Chinese sexual minority women are challenged for their willingness to have children. This study explored how multiple (structural-interpersonal-individual) levels of sexual minority stigma are related to parenting desire among Chinese sexual minority women. Furthermore, it examined the mediation mechanism of individual stigma and the moderation effect of outness to one's family in the link between structural/interpersonal stigma and parenting desire. Participants (265 lesbian and 193 bisexual women) completed online measures of structural stigma (adherence to Confucianism), interpersonal stigma (discrimination events), individual stigma (internalized homophobia and rejection sensitivity), outness to one's family, and parenting desire. Lesbian women reported lower structural and individual stigma and parenting desire levels than bisexual women. Sexual minority women's high adherence to Confucianism, internalized homophobia, and rejection sensitivity were positively associated with their increased parenting desires. Notably, adherence to Confucianism and discrimination events were associated with parenting desire through internalized homophobia, but not rejection sensitivity; moreover, outness to one's family buffered the direct link between adherence to Confucianism and parenting desire and strengthened the direct link between discrimination events and internalized homophobia and the indirect link between discrimination events and parenting desire. This study contributes to a robust understanding of how sexual minority stigma is connected to parenting desire among sexual minority women in Chinese sociocultural contexts, providing cultural-specific evidence to support theories of stigma and minority stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Pu
- Department of Sociology and Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
- Institute of Psychology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenjian Xu
- Department of Sociology and Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
- Institute of Psychology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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Lo IPY, Liu EH, Lai DWL, Yan E. Reflexive Planning for Later Life: Minority Stress and Aging Challenges among Midlife Chinese Lesbians and Gay Men. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2023; 70:3470-3492. [PMID: 35849423 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2095242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study examines how Chinese lesbians and gay men make sense of the prospect of growing old and plan for later life in Hong Kong, where same-sex relationships are yet to be legally recognized. Drawing on in-depth narrative interviews, the results show that lesbians and gay men in midlife reported a range of previous, current, and anticipated challenges associated with the stigma attached to homosexuality. These, in turn, shaped their ways of perceiving and planning for later life. Three forms of reflexivity in response to minority stress and the prospect of aging were identified: coping with fears of aging alone, striving for self-mastery, and planning ahead with feelings of wariness. Participants' concerns and plans around aging demonstrated differing degrees of reflexivity, through which they attempted to navigate family norms and structural constraints and find ways to accumulate resources for later life. Meanwhile, their heightened sense of uncertainty and insecurity showed that their perceptions and experiences of aging were influenced by minority stress and material, familial, and socio-political circumstances. This article builds a constructive dialogue between sexuality and aging studies by unraveling both the aging insecurity and capacities for reflexive planning among an oft-neglected group of sexual minority people in midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Po Yee Lo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
| | - Emma H Liu
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Daniel W L Lai
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Elsie Yan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
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Sommantico M, Lacatena M, Ramaglia F. Romantic Attachment, Relationship Satisfaction, Internalized Sexual Stigma, and Motives for Parenthood in Italian Lesbian Women and Gay Men. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6381. [PMID: 37510613 PMCID: PMC10379054 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20146381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
This study examines romantic attachment, internalized sexual stigma, relationship satisfaction, and motives for parenthood in a sample of 313 Italian lesbian women (47.9%) and gay men (52.1%) aged 18-71 years (M = 36.2; SD = 11.9) and in same-sex relationships. The following hypotheses were tested: that romantic attachment is positively correlated with internalized stigma and motives to not have children, while it is negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction; that relationship satisfaction is negatively correlated with internalized stigma and motives for parenthood; that internalized stigma is negatively correlated with motives for parenthood; and that relationship satisfaction mediates the relationships between romantic attachment and motives for parenthood and between internalized stigma and motives for parenthood. The results strongly support the hypotheses. Furthermore, the results indicate that the lesbian participants reported lower levels of avoidance and internalized stigma and higher levels of relationship satisfaction and motives to not have children, and the participants in civil unions reported lower levels of anxiety and internalized stigma and higher levels of relationship satisfaction and motives to not have children. Taken together, our findings contribute to the growing body of research on LG parenthood and may inform social policy and psychological support for LG individuals pursuing parenthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Sommantico
- Dynamic Psychology Laboratory, Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Via Porta di Massa 1, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Lacatena
- Dynamic Psychology Laboratory, Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Via Porta di Massa 1, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Ramaglia
- Dynamic Psychology Laboratory, Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Via Porta di Massa 1, 80133 Naples, Italy
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Yao H, Yang J, Lo IPY. Lesbian couples’ childbearing experiences using assisted reproductive technology: A netnography study. Midwifery 2023; 121:103656. [PMID: 37019000 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2023.103656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore how Chinese lesbian couples perceived having children through assisted reproductive technology (ART) and its impact on their experiences of family formation. DESIGN This study adopted netnography to investigate online forum data created by self-identified lesbian couples in relation to assisted reproduction. Summative content analysis was used to analyse data. FINDINGS Based on data analysis, A luan B huai, in which a lesbian conceives a child using her partner's egg, was seen as the best way to establish a family because it created a sense of symbolic connectedness with the child for both of them. Moreover, lesbian couples also indicated the crucial role that having children plays in maintaining family harmony, despite their opposition to heterosexual family traditions. With the stratification of reproductive tourism, certain groups of lesbians for instance, those with limited social and cultural capital- might be at a disadvantage in the global setting of reproductive tourism. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Lesbian couples valued the benefits of ART in assisting them to achieve their childbearing goals and build a family. Healthcare providers should take the initiative to enhance fertility care by addressing the concerns and unique challenges faced by lesbian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yao
- School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Jieyi Yang
- School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Iris Po Yee Lo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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Yan W, Huang C, Li C. Family and Relationship Quality among Young Adults with Different Sexual Orientations in Urban China: The Mediating Effects of Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:689-703. [PMID: 36125856 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2117772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This study explored the ambivalent effects of family on the close relationship quality of Chinese young adults. From a national estimate of the urban population across mainland China, 5,089 participants aged 20-39 were recruited for this study. A three-dimensional conceptualization was applied to identify three groups with different sexual orientations in this study. Group A comprised participants who identified as sexual minority people; Group B comprised participants who identified as heterosexuals but were not exclusively attracted to one sex and/or individuals who had had same-sex sexual experiences; Group C comprised participants who identified as heterosexuals. Groups A and B reported lower close relationship satisfaction and psychological well-being than Group C. Life satisfaction and self-esteem partially mediated the association between family and close relationship satisfaction for all groups. However, this relationship was weaker for Group B, and closeness to family benefitted Group B's life satisfaction to a lesser extent, indicating that the nuanced relationship with family influenced the sexual minority people with heterosexual identities. We recommend future directions and practices in local research and policy-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua Yan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University
| | - Chengshi Huang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University
| | - Chengyan Li
- Department of Human Resource Management, Shanghai Normal University
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Lau BHP, Huang YT, Forth MW, Gietel-Basten S. Does Same-Sex Marriage Legalization Make Gay Men Want to Have Children? Findings from a Panel Study in Taiwan. SEXUALITY RESEARCH & SOCIAL POLICY : JOURNAL OF NSRC : SR & SP 2023; 20:1-9. [PMID: 36817701 PMCID: PMC9913036 DOI: 10.1007/s13178-023-00801-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Introduction This study capitalized on prospective legal change in Taiwan to capture changes in gay men's desires and attitudes toward parenthood as a function of the legalization of same-sex marriage (SSM). Methods A panel of 731 gay men (mean age = 26.8 years ± 5.81) completed an online survey between 2019 and 2020, shortly before and 1½ years after the legalization of SSM, to report their parenting desire, marital status, and attitudes toward parenthood and marriage. Results This study found that fewer participants in the follow-up survey expressed a parenting desire (59.0% vs. 74.2%), and the perceived importance of parenthood dropped mildly (3.48 to 3.26, Cohen's d = 0.269). Those who expressed a consistent parenting desire attached greater importance to SSM. The perceived importance of SSM was modestly and positively related to the perceived importance of having a child. Conclusion Although the decrease in parenting desire and its perceived importance may be attributable to a lack of access to family-building options (e.g., surrogacy and adoption) and the COVID-19 pandemic, our findings illustrate that parenthood might become a next step for some Taiwanese male same-sex couples who married or considered marriage. Policy Implications The study findings provide information for policymakers to gauge the possible number of sexual minority men who might want to have a child and consider resource allocation and deliberation on policy changes related to reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobo Hi-Po Lau
- Department of Counseling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu-Te Huang
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU, Rm515, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marty W. Forth
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU, Rm515, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stuart Gietel-Basten
- Division of Social Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
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Dorri AA, Russell ST. Future parenting aspirations and minority stress in U.S. sexual minority adults. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2022; 36:1173-1182. [PMID: 35666912 PMCID: PMC9760407 DOI: 10.1037/fam0001004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Parenthood is an aspiration shared by a majority of U.S. adults. However, previous research has found that sexual minority adults (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual [LGB]) are less likely than heterosexual counterparts to be parents or desire to become parents in the future. To date, few studies have examined how minority stress (i.e., everyday discrimination [ED], felt stigma [FS], and internalized homophobia [IH]) influences parenting desire, parenting likelihood, and expectation a gap between the two. Even fewer studies have examined the parenting aspirations of sexual minority individuals following nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. We analyzed data from 487 childfree lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer participants from two cohorts ("equality cohort": ages 18-25; "visibility" cohort: ages 34-41) from the Generations study, a national probability sample of sexual minority adults in the United States. As expected, we found that the visibility cohort adults had significantly lower parenting desire and parenting likelihood, and a greater parenting expectation gap than the equality cohort adults. Additionally, while everyday discrimination (ED) did not predict parenting aspirations, IH and FS predicted higher parenting desire and lower parenting likelihood, respectively. We found a cohort by FS interaction such that FS predicted even lower parenting likelihood in the visibility cohort adults. Our findings contribute to a growing body of research on sexual minority parenthood and may inform community practice and clinical support for sexual minority adults who pursue parenthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin A. Dorri
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Stephen T. Russell
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
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Tang J, Li XC, Zhang X. The Eudemonic Wellbeing of Volunteers in a Public Health Emergency: COVID-19 in China. Front Psychol 2022; 13:903147. [PMID: 35719588 PMCID: PMC9200989 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With improvements in the public awareness regarding volunteer opportunities, more people are participating in social work, particularly during emergency events. The mental health of volunteers has been attracting more academic attention due to its increasing social significance. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, a qualitative interview was conducted to identify important attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control factors guiding people's volunteering behaviors in an emergency context. Then, a sequential quantitative survey was implemented based on the results of the qualitative study to explore the impact of the aforementioned factors and job involvement on eudemonic well-being. The moderating role of empathy in these relationships was also investigated in this nested design. The results indicate that behavioral attitudes, perceived control, and job involvement have significant positive effects on volunteers' eudemonic well-being. A high perspective taking (cognitive empathy) of volunteers positively moderates the relationship between job involvement and eudemonic well-being, while high personal distress (affective empathy) buffers this relationship. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in relation to emergency volunteer activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Tang
- Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Xiao-Chen Li
- Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Lo IPY, Liu EH, Yu SWK. Family and Work Lives of Lesbians in China: Implications for the Adult Worker Model. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116390. [PMID: 35681974 PMCID: PMC9180164 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This article examines the ways in which lesbians explore opportunities and navigate constraints in their family and work lives in urban China. It not only reveals Chinese lesbians’ difficulties in gaining equal access to the labour market and developing their desired family lives, but also discusses possible ways of enhancing the applicability of the adult worker model for sexual minority women. Previous research has indicated a shift from the male breadwinner model to the adult worker model, suggesting that both men and women are expected to join the labour market, and that women should not carry all the care responsibilities within the family. However, the model largely overlooks the interplay of gender and sexuality factors in shaping work and family lives. This article adopts a qualitative mixed-methods approach, including interviews with 20 Chinese lesbians and social media analysis, to examine lesbians’ experiences of taking part in the family as adults and in the wider economy as workers. It shows how gender norms, heteronormativity, and policy intersect in generating obstacles for Chinese lesbians to thrive as respectable adult workers. This has important implications for attempts to improve the adult worker model to fit better with people’s diverse work/family needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Po-Yee Lo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Emma H. Liu
- Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (E.H.L.); (S.W.-K.Y.)
| | - Sam Wai-Kam Yu
- Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (E.H.L.); (S.W.-K.Y.)
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Tao H. A desirable future or unaffordable hope? Queer people becoming parents through assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Guangdong, China. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2022; 25:413-427. [PMID: 35294853 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2049879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Based on one-year's ethnographic fieldwork, this article unpacks experiences of assisted reproductive technology (ART) among queer parents and queer wannabe parents in Guangdong, China. Although existing state regulation on the use of ART and birth planning tends to deny parenthood to single and queer people and further limits their ability to form legible family units, queer parents who have had children through ART are growing in number in urban China. This research delineates how state and cultural conventions, together with market and economic conditions, have shaped queer individuals' decision making regarding whether, when and how to have children. Findings make an original contribution to studies of the use of reproductive technology in Chinese queer lives. Narratives regarding how queer parents employ ART services unscramble links between sexual citizenship and reproductive agency, as individuals make consumer choices and reproductive decisions synchronously. The paper also explores alleged LGBT-friendly ART companies and the image of a desirable 'rainbow baby' they have created. Chinese queer parents' participation in assisted reproduction has destabilised the dominant hetero-reproductive family matrix while simultaneously contributing to stratified reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Tao
- Department of Anthropology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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Wang J, Zheng L. Culture-Specific Form of Stress Based on Sexual Orientation Among Childless Lesbian and Gay Individuals in China: Perceived Difficulties of Future Parenthood. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:3125-3136. [PMID: 34625884 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02039-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
China's long historical and cultural traditions that overemphasize the continuity of the family bloodline have a profound impact on the desire to become parents. Indeed, many Chinese lesbian and gay (LG) individuals want to become parents, despite same-sex parenting being illegal in mainland China. Faced with a conflict between their sexual orientation and desire for parenthood, childless LG individuals in China experience additional stress. However, no empirical study has examined such stress, which has been termed perceived difficulties of future parenthood. The present study aimed to explore the influence of perceived difficulties of future parenthood on mental health and the moderating effect of parenting desire on the relationship between them among 737 childless Chinese LG individuals (216 lesbian women and 521 gay men). A new measure was developed consisting of four dimensions: restricted pathways, social discrimination, uncertain affective ties, and parental opposition. As predicted, perceived difficulties of future parenthood were associated with poorer mental health in the sample. However, the interaction effects between parenting desire and perceived difficulties of future parenthood on mental health were not significant. These findings highlight common existing perceived difficulties about future parenthood in childless LG individuals in China and their negative effects on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Breen AB, Estrellado JE, Nakamura N, Felipe LCS. Asian LGBTQ+ Sexual Health: an Overview of the Literature from the Past 5 Years. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-020-00298-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Lo IPY, Kim YK, Small E, Chan CHY. The Gendered Self of Chinese Lesbians: Self-Esteem as a Mediator Between Gender Roles and Depression. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1543-1554. [PMID: 31123949 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-1402-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Sexual minority women are at an elevated risk for depression compared to heterosexual women, yet less is known about how gender roles affect the mental health of sexual minority women. Existing studies examining the role of self-esteem in the relationship between gender roles and depression are scarce and have predominantly focused on heterosexual populations. Using a cross-sectional survey of Chinese lesbians in Hong Kong (N = 438), the study tested the direct and indirect effects of different types of gender roles (masculine, feminine, and androgynous) on depression through the mediating factor of self-esteem. We found that masculinity and androgyny were positively associated with self-esteem, while femininity was negatively associated with self-esteem. More importantly, self-esteem fully mediated the inverse relationship between masculinity and depression and that between androgyny and depression. The positive relationship between femininity and depression was also fully mediated by self-esteem. By examining different types of gender roles and incorporating gender roles, self-esteem, and depression into a unified framework, the research highlighted the particularly protective effect of androgyny, which had the strongest positive direct effect on self-esteem and indirect effect on depression through the mediation of self-esteem compared to the effects of other types of gender roles. Our results illuminate the importance of understanding how individual differences in gender roles relate to the mental health of sexual minority women in future research and interventions. Implications for interventions that help Chinese lesbians cope with gender expectations and improve their mental health are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Po Yee Lo
- Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1 3UQ, UK
| | - Youn Kyoung Kim
- School of Social Work, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Eusebius Small
- School of Social Work, University of Texas, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Celia Hoi Yan Chan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China.
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