Table Of ContentHandbook of
F
eminist
F
AMILY
S
tudies
Wededicatethisbooktoourparents,EdandCharleneLloyd,ClarenceJ.Few,Jr.
andGeralynB.Few,andJackandBettyAllen.Wethankthemforteachingushowtostandup
forourselves,evenwhenwewereyounggirls.
Wealsodedicatethisbooktoourpartners,AndrewWong,
DavidDemo,andJeffBurr,andthankthemfortheirunwaveringsupport.
Handbook of
F
eminist
F
AMILY
S
tudies
Sally A. Lloyd
MiamiUniversity, Ohio
April L. Few
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Katherine R. Allen
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
EDITORS
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1. Women—Socialconditions. 2. Family—Socialconditions. 3. Sexrole. 4. Feministtheory. I.Lloyd,
SallyA. II. Few,AprilL. III. Allen,KatherineR.
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CONTENTS
Preface vii
Acknowledgments xi
PartI.FeministTheoryandFamilyStudies
1. ReclaimingFeministTheory,Method,
andPraxisforFamilyStudies 3
KatherineR.Allen,SallyA.Lloyd,andAprilL.Few
2. AFeministCritiqueofFamilyStudies 18
AlexisJ.Walker
3. TheorizingWithRacial-EthnicFeminismsinFamilyStudies 28
AprilL.Few
4. Queering“TheFamily” 43
RamonaFaithOswald,KatherineA.Kuvalanka,LibbyBalterBlume,
andDanaBerkowitz
5. PostmodernFeministPerspectivesandFamilies 56
KristineM.Baber
6. TransnationalIntersectionality:ACriticalFramework
forTheorizingMotherhood 69
RamaswamiMahalingam,SundariBalan,andKristineM.Molina
PartII.Feminist(Re)Visioningof“TheFamily”
7. GenderedBodiesinFamilyStudies:AFeministExamination
ofConstructionistandBiosocialPerspectivesonFamilies 83
ConstanceL.ShehanandChristineE.Kaestle
8. (Re)VisioningIntimateRelationships:ChicanasinFamilyStudies 96
AnaA.Lucero-LiuandDonnaHendricksonChristensen
9. LesbianParentsandTheirFamilies:Complexity
andIntersectionalityFromaFeministPerspective 108
AbbieE.Goldberg
10. FeministVisionsforRethinkingWorkandFamilyConnections 121
MaureenPerry-JenkinsandAmyClaxton
11. (Re)VisioningFamilyTiestoCommunitiesandContexts 134
LynetUttal
12. (Re)VisioningGender,Age,andAginginFamilies 147
IngridArnetConnidisandAlexisJ.Walker
13. ExaminingAfricanAmericanFemaleAdolescentSexualityWithinMainstream
HipHopCultureUsingaWomanist-EcologicalModelofHumanDevelopment 160
DionneP.Stephens,LayliD.Phillips,andAprilL.Few
PartIII.FeministTheoryIntoMethodology
14. NondisabledSistersNavigatingSocioculturalBoundariesofGenderandDisability 177
LoriA.McGrawandAlexisJ.Walker
15. Working-ClassFatherhoodandMasculinitiesinContemporaryJapan 192
MasakoIshii-Kuntz
16. ResistingWhiteness:AutoethnographyandtheDialecticsofEthnicityandPrivilege 205
LibbyBalterBlumeandLeeAnnDeReus
17. DoingFeministResearchonGayMeninCyberspace 220
BradvanEeden-MoorefieldandChristineM.Proulx
18. EngenderingFamilyPast:19th-CenturyPro-FamilyDiscourse
ThroughaFeministHistoricalLens 234
MicheleAdams
19. FeministMethodologyinPractice:CollectingDataonDomesticViolenceinIndia 249
NivedithaMenon
20. DiscoveringWomen’sAgencyinResponsetoIntimatePartnerViolence 264
SallyA.Lloyd,BethC.Emery,andSuzanneKlatt
PartIV.FeministTheoryIntoAction
21. HybridIdentitiesAmongIndianImmigrantWomen:AMasalaofExperiences 281
AnisaMaryZvonkovicandAninditaDas
22. ActivismintheAcademy:Constructing/NegotiatingFeministLeadership 292
SallyA.Lloyd,RebeccaL.Warner,KristineM.Baber,andDonnaL.Sollie
23. Group-VersusIndividual-BasedIntersectionalityandPraxisinFeminist
andWomynistResearchFoundations 304
EdithA.Lewis
24. AFeminist-EcologicalAnalysisofSupportiveHealthEnvironments
forFemaleYouthinSub-SaharanAfrica 316
ElaineA.Anderson,JohnW.Townsend,andNafissatouJ.Diop
25. ThirtyYearsofFeministFamilyTherapy:MovingIntotheMainstream 328
LeighA.LeslieandAshleyL.Southard
26. SteadyingtheTectonicPlates:OnBeingMuslim,FeministAcademic,
andFamilyTherapist 340
ManijehDaneshpour
27. KeepingtheFeministinOurTeaching:DaringtoMakeaDifference 351
KatherineR.Allen
Epilogue 360
AuthorIndex 364
SubjectIndex 381
AbouttheEditors 393
AbouttheContributors 395
PREFACE
O
verthepastthreedecades,feminist creating a scholarly forum for provocative
theory, research, and praxis have feministwork.Theoutstandingcontributions
hadasignificantimpactonthefield gathered here reveal feminism’s dynamic
of family studies. Feminist family scholars influenceandcontinuingpotentialtochallenge
havegeneratednewtheories,methodologies, thefieldoffamilystudies,throughrevisioning
and practices regarding how women, men, thefamilyinallitsinternalandcontextualrela-
children, youth, and older adults relate in tionships and enacting feminist principles in
families and society. Feminists demanded scholarshipandpractice.Simultaneously,these
thatfamilystudiesbecomemoreattentiveto contributions push feminist scholarship to
contextualizedandgenderedunderstandings reincorporate“families”asacentrallocationof
of families; as a result, we can no longer both oppression and resistance, agency and
imagine a field of family studies that would restriction.Theyremindusoftenthatfamilies,
limit itself to its once prevalent yet narrow assitesof contradictionandtension,arepro-
viewof“thefamily”asaWhite,middle-class, found in their enactment of both love and
heterosexual, nuclear unit of husband, wife, trauma.Formanyofus,despitetheircomplex,
anddependentchildren.Thisexampleisjust politicized structures, families are where our
one of many ways in which feminism has heartsanddeepesthopeslie.
profoundlyaffectedthefieldoffamilystudies.
Atthesametimethatfeministideashave
been infused into the discipline of family
GOALS
studies, they have also been challenged and
debatedthroughoutthewidercultureasfem-
Our goals in creating this Handbook were to
inistmovementshavecomeofage.Ironically,
providearesourceforresearchersandprofes-
asfeministideasareembraced,thereisalsoa
sionals on the major theoretical, method-
backlash against them. Feminist ideas either
ological, and applied advances in feminism
comingle or clash with other discourses and
andfamilystudiesandtopublishinnovative
practices,particularlywiththeemergenceof
contributions that fully integrate feminist
third-wave, transnational, and intersectional
theories,methods,and praxis across a range
feminisms. Feminist ideas and practices
of topics in the family field.The chapters in
occupy both old and new spaces in family
thisHandbookprovidethemostcurrenttheo-
studies—andtheyareincreasinglysubjectto
rizingandpracticeinfeministfamilystudies.
critique by feminists themselves. There is a
Acrossthechapters,therearecommongoals:
greatdealofinterestinandneedforfeminist
family scholars who span interdisciplinary
• Toelucidatetheimpactoffeminismon
fields to share the ways in which they inte-
thefieldoffamilystudiesasawhole,
grateandcritiquetheirworkacrossdisciplines,
includingthemanywaysthatfeminism
practices,cultures,theories,andmethods.
hascatalyzedabroadlyinclusive
ThisHandbookshowcasesfeministfamily understandingoffamily,bringingabouta
scholarshipandprovidesbotharetrospective “re-visioning”offamiliesthatincorporates
and a prospective overview of the field by multiplevoicesandperspectives;
vii
viii HANDBOOKOFFEMINISTFAMILYSTUDIES
• Tocenterintersectionalitiesofrace,class, THESTRUCTUREOFTHEHANDBOOK
gender,sexuality,age,nation,ability,and/or
religionaspivotalframeworksforexamining
This Handbook is organized into four major
interlockingstructuresofinequalityand
parts. The book begins with an overview of
privilege,bothinsidefamiliesandinthe
feminist theory and family studies. This first
reciprocalrelationshipbetweenfamiliesand
partbeginswithourintroductorychaptertracing
institutions,communities,andideologies;
the changes in the field that were catalyzed by
• Toprovideoverviewsofthemostimportant
generative works such as Baber and Allen
theories,methodologies,andpracticesin
(1992),Hull,Bell-Scott,andSmith(1982),Sollie
feministfamilystudies,pairedwithconcrete
andLeslie(1994),Thompson(1992),Thompson
examplesofhowscholarsandpractitioners
andWalker (1995),and Thorne (1982),among
actuallyengageinthe“doing”offeminist
others.Hereweexaminethehistoryoftheinflu-
familystudies;and
enceoffeministtheory,methods,andpraxison
• Tocritiquetheflawsandgapswithinfamily
the field of family studies over the past three
studiesandwithinfeminismaswellasthe
decades,emphasizingtheemergenceofconcepts
placeswheretheinfusionoffeminisminto
suchaspower,agency,reflexivity,intersectionality,
familystudieshassimultaneouslycreateda
andtransnationalism.Theintroductorychapter
crisisoverdeeplyheldassumptionsandbeen
heldbackfromreachingitsfullpotentialfor continueswithananalysisofthreecriticaltasks
creative,contextualizedunderstandings. fora“newfeministfamilystudies”:conceptual-
izingintersectionalityforfamilystudies,reclaiming
feminist praxis, and enacting the promise of
OURCONTRIBUTORS interdisciplinarity.
Part I continues with a feminist critique of
IncreatingthisHandbook,wedeliberatelychosea familystudiesresearch,followedbyoverviewsof
diversity of feminist scholars, and we view this key arenas of feminist family theory (including
multiplicity as one of the many strengths of our racial-ethnicfeminisms,queertheory,postmodern
collectivework.Readersfamiliarwiththefieldof perspectives,andtransnationalintersectionality).
feminist family studies will see both familiar and Thesechapterssharecommonfeatures,including
newnamesinthelistof contributors.Wesought anemphasisonthebasictenetsandassumptions
authors who might be considered the “grand- of each type of feminist theory;an explanation
mothers” of the field, along with their academic of coreconceptssuchassubjectivity,reflexivity,
daughters and sons. While the book includes and intersectionality; the influence of these
compelling contributions by many veteran feministtheoriesonthedisciplineoffamilystudies,
scholars, it also showcases the work of new definitions of family, and core family theories;
scholarsmakingexcitingcontributionstothefield. and contributions of feminist family studies
Ultimately, we sought to include scholars to interdisciplinary knowledge. The chapters
whoembodytheintersectionalitythatissocare- inPartIcometogetherasacompilationofthe
fully woven into this book—scholars whose profound impact and potential of feminist
livedexperiencesarebothconnectedtoandyet theorizing to “remake” the field of family
differentfromthefamilydynamicsandprocesses studies.Togethertheyrevealtherichtexturesof
that they study. We asked our contributors to feministtheorizing.
incorporate their multiple identities into their PartIIistitled“Feminist(Re)Visioningof‘The
work,aswebelievethatthepowerof feminism Family.’”The chapters in this part elucidate how
astheory,method,andpraxisisitsversatileabil- feministtheoryandresearchhavefundamentally
ity to occupy multiple locations—center and challenged and enhanced our understanding of
margin—all at once. As passionate feminist “thefamily”inkeyareas(reproduction,intimate
inquirersinfamilyscience,wearenotcomplacent relationships, parenting, adolescence, family and
theorists,researchers,orpractitioners.Feminism work, communities, and aging). What makes
requiresustocontemplatehowtheinteractions these analyses unique is the emphasis on critical
ofidentitiesflowinandoutandspillovercate- intersections (e.g., of race, class, culture, sexual
gories. Throughout these chapters, we invited orientation) with family developmental frame-
our contributors to share their reflections and works,astheauthorsofthesechapterssharehow
selvesastheywrote. feministscholarshavewrestledwithdefiningand
Preface ix
studying intersectionality in familial contexts. subjectivityof thescholar,fortheyelucidatethe
Theyalsopushustowardarenewedemphasison ways these authors translate theory into action
the ways in which subjectivities and locations through their advocacy, policy, and leadership
multiplicativelyinfluencebehaviorandlifetrajec- work. The chapters share common features of
tories and how family members subvert notions borderspanning(bothfigurativeandgeographic),
of the“traditionalfamily”intospacesof creative praxis (translating theory into action), what it
adaptation. This part illuminates how each sub- means to be a feminist professional, and the
stantive area is understood from a feminist dialecticaltensionsinherentinthetranslationof
perspectiveandhowfeminismhascatalyzednew feministtheoryintopolicyandactivism.
theoreticalandmethodologicaldevelopments. Bringing this Handbook to fruition has been
PartIII,“FeministTheoryIntoMethodology,” a profoundly collaborative and inspirational
providesconcreteexamplesoftheenactmentof experienceforusall.Westandontheshoulders
feministresearchmethodologies(includingnar- ofthoseearly,pivotalfeministsinourfieldwho
rative interviews, autoethnography, Internet opened so many doors for us, and we stand in
methods,historicalmethods,theoreticalreanaly- awe of the new feminist scholars who are chal-
sis). These chapters share common features, the lengingsomany“sacred”aspectsof thefieldof
most important of which is their emphasis on familystudies,whichisstillquiteconservativein
“doing” feminist family studies research. Here, itsviewpoints.Inthesechapters,wecollectively
scholars demonstrate how they have translated seek to bring our whole selves to the academic
feminist theory into methodology,explain links enterprise of feminist family studies. We hope
of feminist epistemology with theory and that this book will be a source of both celebra-
method, discuss the basic tenets of their“femi- tionandcontroversy,allowingthoseinthefield
nistmethodologies,”andelucidatethestrengths of feminist family studies to understand just
and challenges of conducting feminist research how far we have come, to spark new disagree-
withinthefieldoffamilystudies.Eachchapterin mentsthatspurcreativeconflict,andtobeinspired
this part contains an example of a specific to push the field in directions that cannot yet
research project that used both feminist theory beimagined.
and feminist methods as well as a discussion of
the researcher’s positionality and subjectivity
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