“Non-Traditional” Parents in Contemporary Societies

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few years, new family configurations have grown more visible, e.g., families headed by LGBT+ parents, stepparents, single parents, and adoptive parents. However, a first-marriage nuclear family structure with two heterosexual parents and their biological children is frequently described as “normal” and “functional” for children’s development. Many studies have found that “non-traditional” parents are perceived as a violation of the assumptions associated with “normal” reproductive and parenting processes, pointing to a dichotomous approach to thinking about proper social roles for which men and women are best-suited. Prejudice also stems from the belief that women and men possess opposite parenting abilities connected to their respective biological sex, allowing them to respond differently to a child’s developmental needs. Negative attitudes are reproduced among heterosexual and cisgender adults, but also among sexual and gender minorities who internalize prejudice, in institutions, or among psychology professionals.

This Special Issue seeks papers addressed to presenting a wide range of attitudes, beliefs, representations, and/or stereotypes toward “non-traditional parents”, including, but not limited to, attitudes toward mother and father roles, expectations concerning children’s outcomes, and the impact of sociocultural and/or other contextual factors. Papers addressing the following topics are also welcome: attitudes toward families created through medically assisted procreation techniques; dehumanization and ontologization of parents; and the effects of sexual prejudice, hetero-cis-normativity, essentialism, and/or gender role beliefs on attitudes toward parents.

The Special Issue is open to papers from a variety of perspectives, including psychological and social perspectives. Both research and review papers are welcome for possible publication. Furthermore, this Special Issue welcomes original studies using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.

Dr. Monica Pivetti
Dr. Silvia Di Battista
Guest Editors

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