Abstract:
Government data from the 2010 United States Census indicate that there are over 594,000 same-sex couple households, with over 115,000 reporting having live-in children (Lofquist, 2011). Given these statistics, it is important for schools and school psychologists to be willing to act as change and progression agents (Zirkel, 2008). The purpose of the current qualitative study was to examine the school experiences of same-sex parents, specifically looking at their experiences with discrimination and inclusion. The current study was guided by the following research questions: 1) How do same-sex parents engage in the school culture?, 2) How do same-sex parents describe their experiences with discrimination in schools?, 3) How inclusive are schools for families with same-sex parents?, and 4) What policies, that same-sex parents are aware of, are in place in schools to support same-sex parents? The current dissertation study included a total of five families with same-sex parents of at least one middle-school age child (n=5) and, for comparison, two families with opposite-sex parents of at least one middle-school age child (n=2). Data collection included a series of three individual interviews with at least one parent in each family, for a total of three rounds of interviews for each participant. Data analysis utilized a phenomenological hermeneutic analysis approach and in vivo coding. Participants within the study generally reported positive experiences in the school. Four major themes emerged from the data as contributing factors to the experiences reported among parents in the study. The findings and themes from this study contribute to research knowledge on supporting families with same-sex parents in schools nationwide.
