That's Like my Life'

Researching Stories of Non-heterosexual Relationships

Bibliographic Data

ID18979342
AuthorsB Heaphy (0000-0002-8508-6522, South Bank University, corresponding author), J Weeks (0000-0001-7725-1922, London South Bank University), Catherine Donovan (0000-0002-3997-1571, University of Sunderland)
Year1998
Volume1
Issue4
Pages453-470
Publication date1998-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSexualities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1363-4607 • E-ISSN: 1461-7382
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/136346098001004004
OpenAlexW2166749271
LanguageEN
Citations received42
References cited24

The article considers key methodological issues that have emerged in a study of the structure and meaning of non-heterosexual (lesbian, gay, bisexual or `queer') relationships. Despite an increasing public profile, the developing patterns of `families of choice' remain under-researched, and give rise to important theoretical questions about identity, intimacy and sexuality. The authors discuss the problems of accessing a `hidden' population, non-heterosexuals' motivation for being researched, and the difficulties of defining sexual identities. A focus on interviewing highlights the complex nature of the concepts and vocabularies that we employ to make sense of relationships, the elements at play in the formation of interview accounts of intimate life, and the issue of boundaries in research on the intimate. The article concludes by considering the validity of respondents' accounts of their lives, and the research narratives that result

Aesthetics · Human sexuality · Interview · Lesbian · Narrative · Narrative inquiry · Population · Queer · Sexual identity · Sociology · Gender Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Social Psychology

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