Parenting Experiences : A case study of Finnish Rainbow Families

In this thesis I look into the everyday lives of non-heterosexual parents in Finland through an analysis of their expressions and experiences concerning their parenting practices. I first provide an introduction to the topic by outlining contemporary trends in family research, followed by a general overview of the literature on non-heterosexual parenting and families. The Finnish context is then introduced through the case study of the ‘Rainbow Family’, underlining the different types of Rainbow Families that exist. The purpose of this research was to understand the reality of non-heterosexual parents in their own terms. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven self-identify non-heterosexual Finnish parents between the months of November 2011 and April 2012. Parents self-identified as lesbian, bisexual, non-heterosexual or queer and were part of nuclear, divorced or single parent families. Interview responses were coded and then analyzed using thematic analysis to elaborate on seven themes: (1) perceived differences between non-heterosexual and straight families (2) socializing children with gender and sexual orientation, (3) dealing with pressure and expectations (4) the process of coming out, (5) differences between social and biological parents, (6) family and involvement of friends and (7) decisions regarding the nature and involvement of donor. I found how non-heterosexual parents make use of the heterosexual nuclear family model as a point of reference by which to assess their own families. I also present how heteronormativity affects non-heterosexual parents’ everyday lives through the ways they are expected to succeed as parents and the assumptions people present regarding their parenting practices and their sexual orientation. In addition, I describe the ways non-heterosexual families disrupt and reinforce classic notions of biological kinship through the inclusion of social parents and the exclusion of donors