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Identity Transformation During the Transition to Parenthood Among Same‐Sex Couples: An Ecological, Stress‐Strategy‐Adaptation Perspective
Author(s) -
Cao Hongjian,
Roger MillsKoonce W.,
Wood Claire,
Fine Mark A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of family theory and review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.454
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1756-2589
pISSN - 1756-2570
DOI - 10.1111/jftr.12124
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , adaptation (eye) , identity (music) , psychology , transformation (genetics) , ecology , stress (linguistics) , developmental psychology , transition (genetics) , social psychology , biology , computer science , artificial intelligence , biochemistry , linguistics , physics , philosophy , acoustics , gene , neuroscience
This article reviews the current research on the potential stressors associated with identity transformation experienced by same‐sex couples during the transition to parenthood and the coping strategies they employ. By integrating disparate findings into an ecological, stress‐strategy‐adaptation framework, we demonstrate that the identity transformation experiences among same‐sex couples during the transition to parenthood (a) involve various adaptive processes of navigating different stressors via their human agency within multiple nested contexts; (b) are products of the intersections of individual characteristics, relational dynamics, LGBT community culture, and heterosexual sociostructural norms; and (c) are complicated by social contextual factors such as social class, race/ethnicity, family structure, and the sociocultural environment associated with geographic location. Last, several avenues for future inquiry are suggested.