Parental sexual orientation : children‘s psychological well-being and development

Abstract

Children living with same-sex parents are becoming more conspicuous in modern society. New family forms are emerging because of this phenomenon. The yearning for parenthood is a fundamental aspect of any human being. Those in same-sex relationships have the same aspirations as heterosexual couples, including that of becoming parents. A number of studies and arguments maintain that there are instances when the contention of having children at all costs might in turn weaken a child‘s place in society. Many studies carried out in this area dealt with the perspective of the parents; such findings could be biased as the true feelings of the children are not analyzed. The aim of this thesis is to review studies on the relation between the well-being of children and their parents‘ sexual orientation. Arguments have been put forward by a number of social scientists that emphasize a "no difference" outlook and have sustained that one finds "no difference" concerning the children‘s development in families headed by same-sex parents compared to heterosexual parentage. Other researchers, however, maintain otherwise. They argue that children are affected by their parents‘ sexual orientation, especially in instances where they suffer from homophobic acts from their peers. This thesis will show that while there is no universal agreement, there is scope for more extensive studies on issues that so far, might not have been given sufficient attention.