Heterosexual, Lesbian, and Gay Preadoptive Parents’ Preferences About Child Gender

Goldberg, Abbie E.

doi:10.1007/s11199-009-9598-4

Cited by 34 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…None of these latter examples approach statistical significance, but the direction of the data remains the same. It may be an issue of members of the couple in this study preferring male children, but this contention is not supported by Goldberg's (2009) research on the gender preferences of preadoptive parents, including gay male parents. In that study, 55% of the preadoptive gay fathers had a gender preference, but there was no statistically significant difference between the men wanting sons (55%) versus those wanting daughters (45%).…”

Section: Disparity In Children's Gendermentioning

confidence: 68%

Child Care Responsibility in Gay Male-Parented Families: Predictive and Correlative Factors

Panozzo

2014

Journal of GLBT Family Studies

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Although the frequency of gay male parented families is increasing, little is known about child care responsibility in these families. A purposive and snowball-sampled, Internet-based survey of 76 gay male parented families who brought children into their families after the primary relationship had been formed were the study participants. A modified version of Cowan and Cowan's (1988) "Who Does What" measure was utilized to determine divisions of child care responsibility. It was determined that, to a statistically significant degree, fathers with greater child care responsibility made less money and had a greater desire to have a child before the arrival of the child. After the arrival of the child they also fulfill more of a "mothering role," make less money, and have lower career importance after the arrival of the child than their partners. These findings build upon the qualitatively derived knowledge of parenting responsibilities in these families by providing a quantitative lens for understanding a number of associations between parenting responsibilities and other factors in these fathers' lives.

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Section: Disparity In Children's Gendermentioning

confidence: 68%

Child Care Responsibility in Gay Male-Parented Families: Predictive and Correlative Factors

Panozzo

2014

Journal of GLBT Family Studies

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“…These studies show that parents undergo sex selection on the assumption that a child of a certain sex will conform to the gender roles, norms and stereotypes typically associated with that sex (Arnold and Kuo 1984;Goldberg 2009;Hammer and McFerran 1988;Hendl forthcoming;Sharp et al 2010). These parents desire a certain type of parenting experience (e.g.…”

Section: Reasons For Seeking Sex Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Sex Selection Undermines Reproductive Autonomy

Browne

2017

Bioethical Inquiry

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Non-medical sex selection is premised on the notion that the sexes are not interchangeable. Studies of individuals who undergo sex selection for non-medical reasons, or who have a preference for a son or daughter, show that they assume their child will conform to the stereotypical roles and norms associated with their sex. However, the evidence currently available has not succeeded in showing that the gender traits and inclinations sought are caused by a "male brain" or a "female brain". Therefore, as far as we know, there is no biological reason why parents cannot have the kind of parenting experience they seek with a child of any sex. Yet gender essentialism, a set of unfounded assumptions about the sexes which pervade society and underpin sexism, prevents parents from realising this freedom. In other words, unfounded assumptions about gender constrain not only a child's autonomy, but also the parent's. To date, reproductive autonomy in relation to sex selection has predominantly been regarded merely as the freedom to choose the sex of one's child. This paper points to at least two interpretations of reproductive autonomy and argues that sex selection, by being premised on gender essentialism and/or the social pressure on parents to ensure their children conform to gender norms, undermines reproductive autonomy on both accounts.

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“…Regarding the desire for companionship, a prospective parent wants a child with similar tastes/propensities as oneself so that they can bond through an enjoyment of similar interests; for example, women who want to have a daughter so that they can enjoy talking, shopping and dancing,27 28 and men who want a son so that they can play baseball, basketball and go fishing together 27 29. Yet, it is, of course, possible to enjoy all these activities with children of either sex, and evidence showing that such propensities are biologically determined is so far lacking 7.…”

Section: Why Parents Wish To Know Fetal Sexmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the majority, these are women who want a mother–daughter bond or men who want a father–son bond. Their expectation is that they would bond more easily with a child of the same sex (and not so easily with a child of the opposite sex) 25–27 29 30. Such a belief is unfortunate, yet it is societal prejudice about gender that prevents us from believing that we can bond and share the interests and activities we love most with either sex, not the physiological characteristics of the sexes.…”

Section: Why Parents Wish To Know Fetal Sexmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such a belief is unfortunate, yet it is societal prejudice about gender that prevents us from believing that we can bond and share the interests and activities we love most with either sex, not the physiological characteristics of the sexes. Prospective parents may alternatively cite that they have more experience with siblings or children of one sex and thus feel better equipped to raise a child of that sex 29. Yet, this feeling is also based on a belief that males and females have different aptitudes and abilities, and an expectation that sons and daughters will play different roles29 30—all forms of gender essentialism.…”

Section: Why Parents Wish To Know Fetal Sexmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why parents should not be told the sex of their fetus: Table 1

Browne

2016

J Med Ethics

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A new technique called non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been developed, which can detect a range of genetic and chromosomal diseases, as well as fetal sex earlier, more easily and more reliably. NIPT, therefore, potentially expands the market for sex determination and sex selective abortion. This paper argues that both practices should be prevented by not including fetal sex in prenatal test reports. This is because there is a discrepancy between what parents are concerned with (gender) and what the prenatal test can provide (sex). The paper first presents arguments, which indicate a difference between sex and gender before presenting parental motivations for sex selection and sex determination to show that parents are not concerned with their child's sex chromosomes, or even their genitalia, but the gender role that their child will espouse. That, however, is not something that a prenatal test can provide. We are thus left with a situation in which what parents are told, and what they think they are being told, are two different things. In other words, as the conflation of sex with gender is implicit in the disclosure of fetal sex, it may be more accurate to refer to it as misinformation. This misinformation promotes sexism via gender essentialism, which is neither in the interests of the future child nor society.

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Heterosexual, Lesbian, and Gay Preadoptive Parents’ Preferences About Child Gender

Cited by 34 publications

References 34 publications

Child Care Responsibility in Gay Male-Parented Families: Predictive and Correlative Factors

Child Care Responsibility in Gay Male-Parented Families: Predictive and Correlative Factors

How Sex Selection Undermines Reproductive Autonomy

Why parents should not be told the sex of their fetus: Table 1

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