Choice 评论

Based on longitudinal research comparing a group of 25 children of lesbian mothers and 21 children of single parent heterosexual-mother families, this study examines the effects of lesbian parenting on child development. The study is a mix of quantitative analyses and quotations from semistructured interview transcripts. The authors caution that children of lesbian mothers with less positive outcomes as adults may have self-selected not to participate in the follow-up survey. Yet findings from those who did participate suggest that children from stable, supportive, long-term lesbian relationships, whose friends were welcome in their homes, do particularly well as adults, remember fewer conflicts as a child, and are no more likely to identify as lesbian or bisexual than are peers in heterosexual-mother families. Situated nicely within the literature on sexual orientation and child development, this timely monograph is a valuable addition to courses on human sexuality, family, or gender. It is both accessible enough for undergraduates and comprehensive enough for graduate students. Appendixes are included for survey items from both the 1976-77 and 1991-92 surveys. S. K. Gallagher; Oregon State University