Poster what families do Output€¦ ·...
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DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development Individual and Society www.wits.ac.za/coe-human 2nd Floor, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa Director: Professor Linda Richter Many South African families don’t fit the traditional stereotype, namely a mother, father and 2 to 3 biological children. For example, parents in some families are the same sex. A new book argues that who is in a family, is less important than what good families do – which is provide care, support and protection to their members. A new book entitled “Queer Kinship” explores South Africa’s emerging family diversity, including differences in parents’ sexual and gender identities. The work is undertaken with the support of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development. The book challenges the traditional ideas that only mothers are suitable caregivers and that fathers are providers; and that kinship presupposes heterosexual parenting. It focuses instead on the ways in which caring family relations foster a sense of belonging, unrelated to gender and sexual identity. Consisting of 15 chapters, the book draws together articles from 16 key scholars and emerging activist voices spanning a wide range of disciplines. The diversity of perspectives promotes debate, and questions the taken-for-granted notion that the hallmarks of successful families – close personal bonds and a sense of belonging – are only to be found in so-called “conventional” families. They also thrive in families where parents are the same sex or transgender, and where children are not biologically connected to parents. Contrary to concerns that unconventional families are damaging for children, research is suggesting ways in which they are beneficial, teaching children qualities such as tolerance and appreciation of diversity in a world in which gender, sexuality and other dimensions of identity are changing. n What families do – more important than who is in them Editors: Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Lecturer in Critical Social and Health Psychology at the Palmerston North campus of Massey University. Ingrid Lynch is a research specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council and a Research Associate at Rhodes University’s Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction research programme. Vasu Reddy is the Dean of Humanities at the University of Pretoria. “ South African policies place families at the centre of safe and socially cohesive societies. But our understanding of what makes a family may benefit from some careful thought. ”
Transcript of Poster what families do Output€¦ ·...
DST-NRF Centre of Excellence
in Human Development
Individual and Society
www.wits.ac.za/coe-human
2nd Floor,
School of Public Health,
University of the Witwatersrand
York Road,
Parktown,
Johannesburg 2193,
South Africa
Director: Professor Linda Richter
Many South African families don’t fit the traditional stereotype, namely a mother, father and 2 to 3 biological children. For example, parents in some families are the same sex. A new book argues that who is in a family, is less important than what good families do – which is provide care, support and protection to their members.
A new book entitled “Queer
Kinship” explores South Africa’s
emerging family diversity, including
differences in parents’ sexual
and gender identities. The work is
undertaken with the support of the
DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in
Human Development.
The book challenges the
traditional ideas that only mothers
are suitable caregivers and that
fathers are providers; and that
kinship presupposes heterosexual
parenting. It focuses instead on
the ways in which caring family
relations foster a sense of belonging,
unrelated to gender and sexual
identity.
Consisting of 15 chapters, the book
draws together articles from 16 key
scholars and emerging activist voices
spanning a wide range of disciplines.
The diversity of perspectives
promotes debate, and questions the
taken-for-granted notion that the
hallmarks of successful families
– close personal bonds and a
sense of belonging – are only to be
found in so-called “conventional”
families. They also thrive in families
where parents are the same sex or
transgender, and where children are
not biologically connected to parents.
Contrary to concerns that
unconventional families are
damaging for children, research is
suggesting ways in which they are
beneficial, teaching children qualities
such as tolerance and appreciation of
diversity in a world in which gender,
sexuality and other dimensions of
identity are changing. n
What families
do – more
important than who
is in them
Editors: Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Lecturer in Critical Social and Health Psychology at the Palmerston North campus of Massey University. Ingrid Lynch is a research specialist at the
Human Sciences Research Council and a Research Associate at Rhodes
University’s Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction research programme. Vasu Reddy is the Dean of
Humanities at the University of Pretoria.
“ South African policies place families
at the centre of safe and socially cohesive
societies. But our understanding
of what makes a family may benefit from some careful
thought.”
