Kate Henley Averett, a graduate student in sociology at the University of Texas, is seeking LGBTQ parents for a study of parenting philosophies and practices.
At the moment, she says at her Web site:
I am looking for LGBTQ couples in Massachusetts and Texas who are parents of children ages 10 and under to be interviewed for my research. Interviews will be about an hour to an hour and a half in length and will be confidential. As a queer woman and (hopeful) future parent, I have a strong interest in making sure that research on this topic is done to the highest standards to prevent misrepresentations of LGBTQ persons.
Below is some additional information she’s sent me; there’s more at her Web site, and you can contact her at kate.averett@utexas.edu.
I’m a second year graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin in Sociology, and the study I’m working on has been approved by the UT IRB as well as by my advisors in the Soc department. In short, this study is about LGBTQ parenting philosophies and practices – mainly, what LGBTQ parents think the ideal way to parent is, how they actually parent, and in what areas do those two (ideals and reality) line up and where do they not – as well as where (in what areas of parenting, from what members of their community, from society, etc) LGBTQ parents find support and where they don’t. The study methodology I’m using is in depth, semi-structured interviews, in which I ask broad questions so as to let what the parents think is important be the main focus of the interview. The interviews are anonymous and confidential and names of the interviewees are removed from the transcripts of the interviews so as to never be associated with the data.
I have a website that has info about my research interests and how they tie in to this particular study, as well as about me (I’m queer, married to a woman, not (yet!) a parent, but have worked with kids in various settings including working full time in childcare, so I’m not a stranger to various ins and outs of parenting!) – and if you have any other questions PLEASE don’t hesitate to ask! I would love any help I can get spreading the word about the study!