Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Julie Meredith Davis

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

Title: The Heterosexual Mother-Lesbian Daughter Relationship After Mother Accepts Daughter’s Lesbian Identity: A Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) Analysis

Committee:
Dr. James M. Croteau, Chair
Dr. Mary Z. Anderson
Dr. Karyn Boatwright

Date: Friday, July 10, 2009 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Merze Tate Center, 3210 Sangren Hall

Abstract:
Little research addresses the heterosexual mother-lesbian daughter relationship dynamics that occur after a mother accepts her daughter’s minority sexual orientation. Utilizing a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) approach, a core research team of six women, two women external auditors, and one male external auditor seek to gain insight into two broad ideas: (a) how the heterosexual mother-lesbian daughter relationship unfolds after the mother accepts her daughter’s minority sexual orientation; and (b) how changes in the heterosexual mothers’ values, beliefs, and attitudes influence their post acceptance relationship with their daughters. The 10 mothers who agreed to participate in the study self-identified as accepting heterosexual mothers. They participated in one 90-minute semi-structured interview.
Data from the interviews are analyzed utilizing the CQR process. The major findings from the study that are addressed include: (a) specifics of the post acceptance relationship that ensued between these women and their lesbian daughters; (b) the fit of Miller, Jordan, Stiver, Kaplan and Surrey’s (1997) Relational Cultural Theory to these women’s experience of sharing a growth fostering relationship with their daughters post acceptance; and (c) an exploration of the personal growth mothers experienced as a result of learning they had a daughter who identified as lesbian. A critique of the study and suggestions for future research are proffered.