1,720,987 research outputs found
Queer intimacies and structural violence: The case of the Italian adoption pathway in special cases
No full textAlthough a significant transformation in personal life has occurred in the last decades, queer forms of
intimacies – including conjugality, sexuality, parenthood, and care – are still subject to prejudice and
institutionalized forms of discrimination. In Italy, despite the recent recognition of same-sex couples,
heteronormativity continues to be hegemonic, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals persists in
every area of life, including health and social care services. With regard to parenting, the law in force denies
LGBTQ+ persons (single or couples) access to full adoption, while the partner of the biological parent can be
legally recognized only through the so-called “adoption in special cases” (Art 44 of Law No 184/1983), a
process that requires an assessment by health and social care professionals (HSCPs) and the court.
To understand the experiences of same-sex parents who have resorted to adoption in special cases, we
interviewed a group of lesbian mothers who have completed the adoption procedure on how they dealt
with the evaluation process and the relationship with the HSCPs involved.
Discourse analysis highlighted that the process was experienced as intrusive, unfair, and paradoxical,
generating concern and uncertainty in parents and their children also due to the lack of LGBTQ+ cultural
competence among the professionals involved. However, the data also show discursive strategies used by
the mothers to resist the heteronormative ideologies and social practices embedded in the adoption
process.
The findings shed light on the structural and systemic barriers that limit same-sex parents' recognition when
accessing health and social care services, thus limiting the exercise of their intimate citizenship, as well as
the resources and strategies they use to address them. Implications for the implementation of specific
affirmative health and social services to meet the needs of persons in queer intimacies will be discussed
The role of dyadic adjustment and family support in predicting psychological distress in a sample of Italian transgender individuals
No full textThe psychological studies on transgender individuals mainly focus on the mental health of this population. However, this extremely narrow focus on mental health outcomes may result in the over-pathologization of a vulnerable population that may experience normative responses to pervasive discrimination, violence, and exclusion. Furthermore, the emphasis placed exclusively on individual problems denotes the risk of the continued neglect of relational, social, and political contexts from which suffering emerges, acquires significance, and can be treated.
The main objective of the present study was to analyse the role of the dyadic adjustment and social support on the levels of psychological distress in a sample of 102 Italian transgender individuals (28.6% defined themselves as transgender women, 51.3% defined themselves as transgender men, 5.9% provided no response) with an average age of 30,75 years. A hierarchical linear multiple regression analysis was conducted to test hypothesis.
The tested model was significant (F = 6.44, p <.001). The total proportion of variance in the psychological distress explained by all of the independent variables was 41,4%. According to the standardized regression coefficient high levels of global psychological distress were associated with low levels of family support (β= - .313, p<.005) and dyadic adjustment (β= - .376, p< .001).
The data confirmed that the support and acceptance of one's partner and family of origin represent an important protective factor with respect to negative psychological health outcomes. The findings emphasize the need to develop specific clinical and social practices for transgender individuals and their families and suggest that building family- and partner-centered policies and programs is particularly important to enable transgender individuals to avoid paying the emotional and psychological costs associated with rejection and non-acceptance
QUEERIS. A Research Project on Queer Intimacies and Services.
No full textAlthough a significant transformation in personal life has occurred in the last decades, queer forms of intimacies – including conjugality, sexuality, parenthood, and care – are still subject to prejudice and discrimination. In Italy, despite the recent recognition of same-sex couples, heteronormativity continues to be hegemonic, influencing the daily life and intimate projects of individuals falling outside the heternorm. Discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals persists in every area of life, including health and social care services (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2019).
In addition, existing laws and policies in the country do not provide equal opportunities for LGBTQ+ intimate relationships and do not counter discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Starting from these premises, the research project QueerIS will focus on the social practices that challenge and constrain LGBTQ+ intimate relationships. Specifically, the research aims to evaluate individual, relational, and situational factors limiting the access to health and social care services of LGBTQ+ Italian individuals. Research will explore the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, focusing on difficulties, sense of trust and coping strategies influencing access to health and social care services, as well as on the factors related to behaviour and to intention to seek support. Moreover, attitudes toward LGBTQ+ intimate relationships among health and social care professionals will be explored. The results will make it possible to identify the obstacles and the difficulties LGBTQ+ individuals need to face within health and social care services, as well as the resources and strategies they use to deal with them. The research will provide the basis for the development of guidelines for creating health and social care services that address the specific needs of individuals in queer intimacies. The findings will also support the development and promotion of specific intervention strategies aimed at fostering health and social care professionals in providing non-discriminatory services
Challenges, experiences and silenced rights of Italian LGBTQI+ foster carers
No full textFostering by LGBTQI+ people is an unexplored topic in Italy, even though the first juvenile court decrees of fostering by lesbian and gay people date back to 2013. This paper reports the results of an ongoing study aimed at analysing the experiences of a group of Italian LGBTQI+ foster carers
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Interventi affermativi e culturalmente competenti per il benessere delle persone trans*. Contributo nel Simposio "Contrasto alla discriminazione delle persone LGBTQIA+. Percorsi di formazione e intervento per studenti universitari e professionisti"
No full textOvercoming sexist gendered language: heteronormativity and comfort with schwa-ending strategy in Italy
No full textIntroduction
One proposal for an Italian genderless language involves using non-gender-specific endings, such as the schwa (‘ə’), to inclusively refer to all gender identities. This study examines the relationships between Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs, Trans* Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs, and Comfort with genderless language.
Methods
Data were collected in 2023 from 649 individuals via a cross-sectional survey. Participants completed measures assessing Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs, Trans* Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs, and Comfort with genderless language, specifically the schwa ending. Bivariate correlations and mediation analyses were conducted to explore direct and indirect relationships among these variables.
Results
Higher levels of Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs were significantly associated with lower comfort with genderless language. Conversely, positive Trans* Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs correlated with greater comfort using schwa. Mediation analysis revealed that Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs indirectly influenced comfort with genderless language through three dimensions of Trans* Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs: Acceptance of the gender spectrum, Social tolerance, and Comfort and contact with trans* individuals.
Conclusions
The findings highlight the crucial role of psychosocial factors in shaping attitudes toward genderless language.
Policy Implications
These results underscore the need for policies that integrate educational programs to enhance understanding gender identities and encourage the use of genderless language in public and private sectors. Addressing these psychosocial factors can lead to more equitable linguistic practices
- …
