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Sociology of Families Research Paper

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Sociology of Families Research Paper
This article talks about the way in which and the extent to which lesbians conduct their relationships in an egalitarian manner battling power imbalances and other inequalities that come their way. The author has conducted a study on lesbian relationships where interviews were conducted and information was gathered on the positive and negative aspects of their experiences. Lesbian women focus on equality be it economic power, the domestic sphere, emotional labour and career opportunities. The article highlights the absence of gender scripts that doesn’t restrict either partner from being who they are and do what they like. Au contraire, the existence of these gender scripts are the very reason heterosexual relationships become problematic and throws restrictions on women causing them to fall into prescribed roles. It illustrates clear differential features between heterosexual and homosexual relationships using experiences of women who have been in relationships with both men and women. It goes on to talk about the importance of economic independence and how lesbians recognize that their lifestyle requires them to be self-sufficient and makes financial dependency or dependency of any kind undesirable. This belief is extended towards unilateral house ownership, which is another source of a major power imbalance. Women feel more secure when they have their own apartment and their independence intact i.e. the choice to walk out of the relationship whenever you can. It leaves no room for dependency and makes them more self-reliant. The author also tries to demonstrate how sexuality itself fuels the ability of women to achieve success in their work sphere and to do so whilst managing a relationship and navigating through structural inequalities of power and to some extent, domination.
The construction of lesbian relationships is based on the egalitarian model, which places emphasis on the equality of both partners. It is a crucial dimension in the functioning of



Bibliography: 1. Peplau, Leticia A., and Adam W. Fingerhut. "The Close Relationship between Lesbians and Gay Men." Annual Review of Psychology, 2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . 2. Mayta A. Caldwell. "The Balance of Power in Lesbian Relationships." Sex Roles 10 (1984): 587-600. Print. 3. Peplau LA. 2005. “Identity support, identity devaluation, and well being among lesbians”. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29: 140–145 4. Fox, Bonnie. "Lesbians at Home: Why Can 't a Man Be More Like a Woman?" Family Patterns, Gender Relations. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2001. 385-415. Print.

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