Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption

This article makes use of institutional ethnography to research foster care and adoption by lesbians and gay men, drawing on the work of the feminist sociologist Dorothy E. Smith in order to demonstrate the investigation of social work institutional categories and the "˜relations of ruling&...

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Main Author: Stephen Hicks
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Social Work & Society 2009-12-01
Series:Social Work and Society
Online Access:http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1333
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author Stephen Hicks
author_facet Stephen Hicks
author_sort Stephen Hicks
collection DOAJ
description This article makes use of institutional ethnography to research foster care and adoption by lesbians and gay men, drawing on the work of the feminist sociologist Dorothy E. Smith in order to demonstrate the investigation of social work institutional categories and the "˜relations of ruling'. Through an analysis of the ways in which 'gender' and the idea of the 'gender role model' is used within the assessment of gay and lesbian foster carers and adopters, the author shows how these categories are produced and used to police relationship forms and to identify "˜deviant instances'.
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spelling doaj-art-a94b0263feef4e8b92a4a7eea33687342025-08-20T03:13:59ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532009-12-0172Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and AdoptionStephen HicksThis article makes use of institutional ethnography to research foster care and adoption by lesbians and gay men, drawing on the work of the feminist sociologist Dorothy E. Smith in order to demonstrate the investigation of social work institutional categories and the "˜relations of ruling'. Through an analysis of the ways in which 'gender' and the idea of the 'gender role model' is used within the assessment of gay and lesbian foster carers and adopters, the author shows how these categories are produced and used to police relationship forms and to identify "˜deviant instances'. http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1333
spellingShingle Stephen Hicks
Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption
Social Work and Society
title Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption
title_full Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption
title_fullStr Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption
title_full_unstemmed Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption
title_short Sexuality and the "˜Relations of Ruling': Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption
title_sort sexuality and the relations of ruling using institutional ethnography to research lesbian and gay foster care and adoption
url http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1333
work_keys_str_mv AT stephenhicks sexualityandtherelationsofrulingusinginstitutionalethnographytoresearchlesbianandgayfostercareandadoption