Developmentalism and the rhetoric of best interest of the child: challenging heteronormative constructions of families and parenting in foster care
Date
2006
Authors
Riggs, D.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 2006; 2(2):57-73
Statement of Responsibility
Damien W Riggs
Conference Name
Abstract
The foster care system in Australia has recently recognised the importance of encouraging lesbians and gay men to become foster carers. Whilst this may be seen as an important step towards overcoming social stereotypes that position lesbians and gay men as unfit parents, I propose that foster care public policy in Australia is shaped by a number of key assumptions that effectively exclude lesbian and gay foster parents. In particular, I focus on how the logic of developmentalism [where children are assumed to follow a (hetero)normative developmental pathway] and the rhetoric of best interests of the child (within which a particular moral framework is employed to judge who can, and who cannot protect children) work to recenter a normative understanding of families and parenting that encourages lesbians and gay parents to adopt a heterosexual model of parenting.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
© Haworth Press