Lay Conceptions of “Family”: A Replication and Extension

Baxter, Leslie A.; Henauw, Caro; Huisman, Dena M.; Livesay, Curtis B.; Norwood, Kristen; Su, Hong Myung; Wolf, Bianca M.; Young, Lance Brendan

doi:10.1080/15267430902963342

Cited by 42 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This exploration of discourses examines how these meanings align with or rebuff the dominant biogenetic discourse of family currently privileged by the foster care system (Argys & Duncan, 2013) and mainstream American culture at large (e.g., Baxter et al, 2009). Two primary discourses of family emerged in the data: the DBN and the DCK.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Unfortunately, these three conceptualizations (biogenetic, task/functional, and interactional/transactional) often reside in the world of research as discrete approaches taken by given scholars. When layperson views are examined, researchers often limit their methods to perception-based surveys of attitudes toward different family forms (e.g., Baxter et al, 2009). Galvin (2006) argues that family communication scholars should examine the communicative practices by which so-called discourse-dependent families-that is, families that do not meet the US cultural ideal of the biogenetic nuclear family-constitute a meaning of "family" that legitimates alternative family forms.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Discursive Constructions of the Meaning of “Family” in Online Narratives of Foster Adoptive Parents

Suter¹,

Baxter²,

Seurer³

et al. 2014

Communication Monographs

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Discursive Constructions of the Meaning of “Family” in Online Narratives of Foster Adoptive Parents

Suter¹,

Baxter²,

Seurer³

et al. 2014

Communication Monographs

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“…creation of shared meaning through affective ties or symbolic communication such as stories and rituals) (Segrin & Flora, 2005). Research on how laypeople define family suggests that they often blend these kinds of definitions or shift back and forth between them (Baxter et al, 2009; Newman, Roberts, & Syré, 1993; Schmeeckle, Giarrusso, Feng, & Bengtson, 2006; Weigel, 2008). …”

Section: Defining Familymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Context of Collecting Family Health History: Examining Definitions of Family and Family Communication about Health among African American Women

Thompson

Seo

Griffith

et al. 2015

Journal of Health Communication

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Public health initiatives encourage the public to discuss and record family health history (FHH) information, which can inform prevention and screening for a variety of conditions. Most research on FHH discussion and collection, however, has involved predominantly White participants and has not considered lay definitions of family or family communication patterns about health. This qualitative study of 32 African American women, 16 with a history of cancer, analyzed participants’ definitions of family, family communication about health, and collection of FHH information. “Family” was defined by biological relatedness, social ties, interactions, and proximity. Several participants noted using different definitions of family for different purposes (e.g. biomedical vs. social). Health discussions took place between and within generations and were influenced by structural relationships (e.g. sister) and characteristics of family members (e.g. trustworthiness). Participants described managing tensions between sharing health information and protecting privacy, especially related to generational differences in sharing information, fear of familial conflict or gossip, and denial (sometimes described as refusal to “own” or “claim” a disease). Few participants reported that anyone in their family kept formal FHH records. Results suggest FHH initiatives should address family tensions and communication patterns that affect discussion and collection of FHH information.

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“…For instance, in their recent replication and extension of earlier studies by Trost (1990) and Ford (1994), Baxter et al (2009) found that the presence of blood ties is still one characteristic judged highest in terms of indicating family status. Likewise, Holtzman's (2008) participants favored biology in defining the parent-child bond.…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

“…

Extending previous research (e.g., Baxter et al, 2009) by examining adoptive parents' sense-making of laypersons' conceptions of family, and following Owen (1985), we conducted a metaphoric analysis of twelve focus groups-69 parents with adopted children from either Vietnam or China. Adoptive family as battleground emerged as the primary metaphorical frame that adoptive parents use to make sense of laypersons' remarks about their families.

…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adoptive Parents' Framing of Laypersons' Conceptions of Family

Suter

Reyes

Ballard

2011

Qualitative Research Reports in Communication

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Extending previous research (e.g., Baxter et al., 2009) by examining adoptive parents' sense-making of laypersons' conceptions of family, and following Owen (1985), we conducted a metaphoric analysis of twelve focus groups-69 parents with adopted children from either Vietnam or China. Adoptive family as battleground emerged as the primary metaphorical frame that adoptive parents use to make sense of laypersons' remarks about their families. A battlefield with lines drawn between dueling ideologies about family comprises this battleground. Demographers' and scholars' plural views oppose laypersons' narrow conceptions of how families ''should be.'' Parents understood laypersons' remarks as saying (directly or indirectly) that their adoptive families violated the traditional view of family in terms of: racial dissimilarity between members, construction of family via adoption, and adoption of a child born outside the United States. Laypersons' traditional view is both reinforced and constituted by racist, biologically normative, and nationalist beliefs, which, when instantiated in talk (e.g., racist remarks), represent assaults on transracial, international adoptive families. Our results suggest racism, biological normativity, and nationalism remain dominant in U.S. family ideology. As an implication, we suggest changes to pre-adoptive education to help adoptive families discursively cope with their stigmatized social position.

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Lay Conceptions of “Family”: A Replication and Extension

Cited by 42 publications

References 24 publications

Discursive Constructions of the Meaning of “Family” in Online Narratives of Foster Adoptive Parents

Discursive Constructions of the Meaning of “Family” in Online Narratives of Foster Adoptive Parents

The Context of Collecting Family Health History: Examining Definitions of Family and Family Communication about Health among African American Women

Adoptive Parents' Framing of Laypersons' Conceptions of Family

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