Tracy Morison - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Articles & chapters by Tracy Morison
The Cambridge Handbook of the International Psychology of Women, 2020
Major historical shifts in the field of fertility, childbirth and parenting have implications for... more Major historical shifts in the field of fertility, childbirth and parenting have implications for feminist psychologists working on these topics. These shifts include approaches to sexuality and reproduction: a population control emphasis in the late 1940s, a reproductive rights paradigm in the 1990s, and progression from reproductive rights to reproductive justice. Feminist psychologists must traverse the political landscape created by these broad approaches. In this chapter, we suggest ways in which such engagement may be facilitated through examination of mainstream assumptions and outcomes and the use of nuanced feminist research. Drawing from transnational feminisms, the principles of reproductive justice, and examples of research and interventions in reproductive decision-making, abortion, obstetric violence, 'deviant' (m)others, early reproduction and contraception, we argue that feminist psychology should attend to both global and cross-cutting power relations concerning fertility and reproduction, as well as localised dynamics.
Intersections of mothering: Feminist accounts
In this chapter, we show how the boundaries of acceptable mothering are demarcated and regulated ... more In this chapter, we show how the boundaries of acceptable mothering are demarcated and regulated through reference to the ‘Other’ (Woollett & Phoenix, 1997). Using examples of ‘womxn’ who refuse motherhood, terminate pregnancies and reproduce when considered to be too young, we outline how womxn who ‘fail’ at normative mothering or who deviate from expected reproductive decisions form the pathologised presence that pre-defines the absent trace of normative mothering and the successful accomplishment of womxnhood (Macleod, 2001). We use the term ‘womxn’ and ‘womxnhood’ to disrupt normative assumptions about gender and sex, here taken to be socially constructed, which write gender and sex onto individuals. In this chapter, the term ‘womxn’ denotes and recognises womxn-identifying persons with the biological capacity to become pregnant, including intersex and transgender individuals. We also use this term to foreground the experiences of womxn of colour, womxn from/living in the global South, trans, queer and intersex womxn, as well as all womxn-identifying persons who have been excluded from dominant constructions of ‘womanhood’ and feminist praxis on the subject (Ashlee, Zamora & Karikari, 2017; Merbruja, 2015).
Feminism & Psychology, 2019
Youth sexuality is typically constructed as a social problem, and associated with a range of nega... more Youth sexuality is typically constructed as a social problem, and associated with a range of negative consequences for larger society and for young people themselves-especially young women. The media play a role in perpetuating this dominant construction, but may also offer a space for resistance. In this article, mainstream news media reportage on youth sexual and reproductive issues in Aotearoa are discursively analysed to identify instances of resistance to oppressive discourses. Taking a feminist poststructuralist perspective, the aim is to connect news reporting, as a representational practice, with broader relations of power. The focus of the analysis, therefore, is on whether and how young people are allowed a voice in news reportage, and to what effect their voices are deployed. The analysis demonstrates not only that youth voice is relatively muted in comparison to experts, but also that it is frequently used to reinforce the dominant constructions of youth sexuality (as problematic and risky). Yet, instances of resistance are also evident. These are assessed in relation to their impact on gender power relations and possibilities for amplifying resistance are discussed.
SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Psychology., 2019
An important area within applied social psychology is the health and wellbeing of individuals, co... more An important area within applied social psychology is the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and societies and how this is related to broader social, cultural, and global contexts. Drawing on the insights and methods of social psychology, critical health psychology works to interrogate these relationships to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. In this way, it extends beyond the more conventional approaches to physical health and wellbeing found in traditional health psychology (Horrocks and Johnson, 2012). Critical health psychologists are interested in advancing new psychological understandings of health and illness. Like applied social psychologists, they are also committed to finding ways to contribute to the transformation of an unhealthy world (Murray and Poland, 2006). These two features delineate the ‘critical’ in critical health psychology. Taking such an approach to health psychology, therefore, means opening one’s eyes to new ways of seeing health-related issues (Lyons and Chamberlain, 2017).
Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2018
Using the case of Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy in Aotearoa (New Zealand), ... more Using the case of Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy in Aotearoa (New Zealand), this article interrogates the dominant risk discourse in sexual and reproductive health policy. It highlights the tensions between risk discourse and broader equity goals, which are increasingly seen as significant within sexual and reproductive health. Working within a poststructuralist perspective, discursive methodology is used to explore the positioning of youth in ten (10) policy documents. The analysis shows how the risk discourse, along with a developmental discourse, creates three common youth subject positions: youth as at risk and vulnerable, as not-yet citizens, and as especially vulnerable relative to other young people. It demonstrates how these positions may be associated with ‘new’ or covert forms of morality and stigmatisation. Detailing the implications for ethnic minorities in particular, it adds to prior analyses of gender- and class-based inequities. The Sexual and Reproductive Justice framework, which encompasses notions of rights and justice, is discussed as an alternative to risk-based policy development that can attend to sexual and reproductive health inequities.
Bisexual erasure refers to the cultural de-legitimation of bisexuality as an intelligible sexual ... more Bisexual erasure refers to the cultural de-legitimation of bisexuality as an intelligible sexual identity. There is little South African research that considers how this occurs. Generally bisexuality is “a silenced sexuality” both in popular and academic discourse. Research has not attended to (women’s) “self-aware bisexual identities”, tending to focus on men’s bisexual practices or other people’s perceptions of bisexuals. This article is intended as a starting point for further local research. Using an intersectionality approach, it looks at how race, class, space and gender intertwine with sexuality in ways that further compound marginalisation or provide avenues for resistance to dominant norms from an autobiographical perspective. The analysis shows how bisexual erasure occurs through acts of non-recognition and misrecognition, as well as instances of resistance.
In Chapter 11, Julia C. Nentwich and Tracy Morison discuss Judith Butler's theory of performativi... more In Chapter 11, Julia C. Nentwich and Tracy Morison discuss Judith Butler's theory of performativity in the process of self-making.
Several qualitative researchers using discursive methodologies have noted how opposition to homos... more Several qualitative researchers using discursive methodologies have noted how opposition to homosexuality has not necessarily diminished, despite the general expression of liberal tolerance in many settings. Instead, heterosexist rhetoric has shifted to accommodate political change. Our research builds on this observation within the South African context, using a discursive psychology approach. We examine rhetorical strategies of " heterosexual recuperation " : the ways that heterosexual boundaries and the dominance of heterosexuality are maintained by speakers, at the same time as they attempt to avoid being heard as heterosexist. Drawing on data from a qualitative study conducted with heterosexual-identifying Black South Africans (32) from four provinces, we focus on talk that was resourced by a " discourse of tolerance " and characterised by speakers' concern to avoid the attribution of heterosexism. This talk was analysed using thematic analysis, to which discursive psychology techniques were applied. We identified two ways of speaking that relied on this discourse – (1) " As long as they do it in private " , and (2) " Flashing their homosexuality " – and show how they ultimately worked to recuperate heterosexuality and marginalise non-normative sexualities. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to a critical psychology that works to challenge hetero-patriarchal norms.
Worldwide, sexual and gender minorities struggle to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) s... more Worldwide, sexual and gender minorities struggle to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. In South Africa, sexual prejudice is entrenched and pervasive in health systems and SRH services do not cater for a diverse range of people. Though health reform is underway, little attention has been given to how sexuality is being addressed in this process, particularly in the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme currently being piloted. We analyse interview data generated in an NHI pilot district, using discursive methodology, informed by a sexual and reproductive justice standpoint. We show how sexual and gender minorities are discursively in/visibilised in health settings and discuss these findings in relation to the social justice and solidarity aims of health systems reform.
There is increasing visibility of dissident sexualities and genders in media debates about famili... more There is increasing visibility of dissident sexualities and genders in media debates about families, including resistant discourses that challenge delegitimising claims about queer families. There remains, however, a lack of research that assesses the ways in which discourses seeking to defend queer parenthood function to challenge or, at times, reinforce hetero-gendered norms. Families formed by gay men have generally received less attention, both in the media as well as academic scholarship. In this paper, we explore resistant discourses deployed in mainstream print media, attending particularly to news reports about queer fathers and their children. Through a critical thematic analysis of South African newspapers, informed by feminist discursive psychology, we identify four themes in resistant ways of talking: de-gendering parenthood, normalising queer parents, valorising queer parenting, and challenging the heteronormative gold standard. We conclude with the political implications of such resistant talk, as part of a project of transforming restrictive hetero-gendered norms.
Psychology of Women Quarterly
People who are voluntarily childless, or ‘‘childfree,’’ face considerable stigma. Researchers hav... more People who are voluntarily childless, or ‘‘childfree,’’ face considerable stigma. Researchers have begun to explore how these
individuals respond to stigma, usually focusing on interpersonal stigma management strategies. We explored participants’
responses to stigma in a way that is cognisant of broader social norms and gender power relations. Using a feminist discursive
psychology framework, we analysed women’s and men’s computer-assisted communication about their childfree status. Our
analysis draws attention to ‘‘identity work’’ in the context of stigma. We show how the strategic use of ‘‘choice’’ rhetoric
allowed participants to avoid stigmatised identities and was used in two contradictory ways. On the one hand, participants
drew on a ‘‘childfree-by-choice script,’’ which enabled them to hold a positive identity of themselves as autonomous, rational,
and responsible decision makers. On the other hand, they mobilised a ‘‘disavowal of choice script’’ that allowed a person who
is unable to choose childlessness (for various reasons) to hold a blameless identity regarding deviation from the norm of
parenthood. We demonstrate how choice rhetoric allowed participants to resist stigma and challenge pronatalism to some
extent; we discuss the political potential of these scripts for reproductive freedom.
![Research paper thumbnail of Online Research Methods in Psychology: Methodological Opportunities for Critical Qualitative Research [Special Issue - Editorial]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/36946113/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary... more Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary Research Associate at Rhodes University in South Africa. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive justice, families, qualitative methodologies and feminist theories.
Qualitative Research in Psychology, Jul 2015
Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary... more Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary Research Associate at Rhodes University in South Africa. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive justice, families, qualitative methodologies and feminist theories.
Qualitative Inquiry
Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical langua... more Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical language for thinking about gender. Despite this, Butlerian theory is difficult to apply, as Butler does not provide guidance on actual analysis of language use in context. In order to address this limitation, we suggest carefully supplementing performativity with the notion of performance in a manner that allows for the inclusion of relational specificities and the mechanisms through which gender, and gender trouble, occur. To do this, we turn to current developments within discursive psychology and narrative theory. We extend the narrative-discursive method proposed by Taylor and colleagues, infusing it with Butlerian theory in order to fashion a dual analytical lens, which we call the performativity-performance approach. We provide a brief example of how the proposed analytical process may be implemented.
Qualitative Inquiry, 2013
Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical langua... more Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical language for thinking about gender. Despite this, Butlerian theory is difficult to apply, as Butler does not provide guidance on actual analysis of language use in context. In order to address this limitation, we suggest carefully supplementing performativity with the notion of performance in a manner that allows for the inclusion of relational specificities and the mechanisms through which gender, and gender trouble, occur. To do this, we turn to current developments within discursive psychology and narrative theory. We extend the narrative-discursive method proposed by Taylor and colleagues, infusing it with Butlerian theory in order to fashion a dual analytical lens, which we call the performativity-performance approach. We provide a brief example of how the proposed analytical process may be implemented.
Qualitative Research, 2013
Researchers who have attempted to make sense of silence in data have generally considered literal... more Researchers who have attempted to make sense of silence in data have generally considered literal silences or such things as laughter. We consider the analysis of veiled silences where participants speak, but their speaking serves as ‘noise’ that ‘veils’, or masks, their inability or unwillingness to talk about a (potentially sensitive) topic. Extending Lisa Mazzei’s ‘problematic of silence’ by using our performativity-performance analytical method, we propose the purposeful use of ‘unusual conversational moves’, the deployment of researcher reflexivity, and the analysis of trouble and repair as methods to expose taken-for-granted normative frameworks in veiled silences. We illustrate the potential of these research practices through reference to our study on men’s involvement in reproductive decision-making, in which participants demonstrated an inability to engage with the topic. The veiled silence that this produced, together with what was said, pointed to the operation of procreative heteronormativity.
Home Affairs: Rethinking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families in Contemporary South Africa (edited by Carien Lubbe-De Beer and John Marnell), 2013
Drawing on a selection of print media reportage, we examine the social and public discourses that... more Drawing on a selection of print media reportage, we examine the social and public discourses that underpin and resist normative meanings associated with ‘the family’ as a social unit and, specifically, how same-gendered families are constructed within this material.
International Journal of Family Matters
This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making ... more This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making (i.e., decisions related to becoming a first-time parent) in which the focus was on White, heterosexual men. Little is known about the roles and involvement of these men in decision-making processes. They comprise an invisible norm in research as heteronormative assumptions about parenthood cause them to be overlooked. This oversight-exacerbated by the pervasive problem perspective in social science-forms the research rationale. Conducted within a gender-relational framework, the study included 23 heterosexual, White South African women and men with a view to exploring how gender constructions influence this process and affect the gender power relations. Interviews with participants were analyzed using a narrative-discursive method and the findings show how an assumption of childbearing shaped the data and may have implications for female-male power relations in reproductive partnerships.
In D. Wylie (ed.) Toxic Belonging? Identity and Ecology in Southern Africa. Newcastle (UK): Cambridge Scholars Press., 2008
The Cambridge Handbook of the International Psychology of Women, 2020
Major historical shifts in the field of fertility, childbirth and parenting have implications for... more Major historical shifts in the field of fertility, childbirth and parenting have implications for feminist psychologists working on these topics. These shifts include approaches to sexuality and reproduction: a population control emphasis in the late 1940s, a reproductive rights paradigm in the 1990s, and progression from reproductive rights to reproductive justice. Feminist psychologists must traverse the political landscape created by these broad approaches. In this chapter, we suggest ways in which such engagement may be facilitated through examination of mainstream assumptions and outcomes and the use of nuanced feminist research. Drawing from transnational feminisms, the principles of reproductive justice, and examples of research and interventions in reproductive decision-making, abortion, obstetric violence, 'deviant' (m)others, early reproduction and contraception, we argue that feminist psychology should attend to both global and cross-cutting power relations concerning fertility and reproduction, as well as localised dynamics.
Intersections of mothering: Feminist accounts
In this chapter, we show how the boundaries of acceptable mothering are demarcated and regulated ... more In this chapter, we show how the boundaries of acceptable mothering are demarcated and regulated through reference to the ‘Other’ (Woollett & Phoenix, 1997). Using examples of ‘womxn’ who refuse motherhood, terminate pregnancies and reproduce when considered to be too young, we outline how womxn who ‘fail’ at normative mothering or who deviate from expected reproductive decisions form the pathologised presence that pre-defines the absent trace of normative mothering and the successful accomplishment of womxnhood (Macleod, 2001). We use the term ‘womxn’ and ‘womxnhood’ to disrupt normative assumptions about gender and sex, here taken to be socially constructed, which write gender and sex onto individuals. In this chapter, the term ‘womxn’ denotes and recognises womxn-identifying persons with the biological capacity to become pregnant, including intersex and transgender individuals. We also use this term to foreground the experiences of womxn of colour, womxn from/living in the global South, trans, queer and intersex womxn, as well as all womxn-identifying persons who have been excluded from dominant constructions of ‘womanhood’ and feminist praxis on the subject (Ashlee, Zamora & Karikari, 2017; Merbruja, 2015).
Feminism & Psychology, 2019
Youth sexuality is typically constructed as a social problem, and associated with a range of nega... more Youth sexuality is typically constructed as a social problem, and associated with a range of negative consequences for larger society and for young people themselves-especially young women. The media play a role in perpetuating this dominant construction, but may also offer a space for resistance. In this article, mainstream news media reportage on youth sexual and reproductive issues in Aotearoa are discursively analysed to identify instances of resistance to oppressive discourses. Taking a feminist poststructuralist perspective, the aim is to connect news reporting, as a representational practice, with broader relations of power. The focus of the analysis, therefore, is on whether and how young people are allowed a voice in news reportage, and to what effect their voices are deployed. The analysis demonstrates not only that youth voice is relatively muted in comparison to experts, but also that it is frequently used to reinforce the dominant constructions of youth sexuality (as problematic and risky). Yet, instances of resistance are also evident. These are assessed in relation to their impact on gender power relations and possibilities for amplifying resistance are discussed.
SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Psychology., 2019
An important area within applied social psychology is the health and wellbeing of individuals, co... more An important area within applied social psychology is the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and societies and how this is related to broader social, cultural, and global contexts. Drawing on the insights and methods of social psychology, critical health psychology works to interrogate these relationships to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. In this way, it extends beyond the more conventional approaches to physical health and wellbeing found in traditional health psychology (Horrocks and Johnson, 2012). Critical health psychologists are interested in advancing new psychological understandings of health and illness. Like applied social psychologists, they are also committed to finding ways to contribute to the transformation of an unhealthy world (Murray and Poland, 2006). These two features delineate the ‘critical’ in critical health psychology. Taking such an approach to health psychology, therefore, means opening one’s eyes to new ways of seeing health-related issues (Lyons and Chamberlain, 2017).
Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2018
Using the case of Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy in Aotearoa (New Zealand), ... more Using the case of Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy in Aotearoa (New Zealand), this article interrogates the dominant risk discourse in sexual and reproductive health policy. It highlights the tensions between risk discourse and broader equity goals, which are increasingly seen as significant within sexual and reproductive health. Working within a poststructuralist perspective, discursive methodology is used to explore the positioning of youth in ten (10) policy documents. The analysis shows how the risk discourse, along with a developmental discourse, creates three common youth subject positions: youth as at risk and vulnerable, as not-yet citizens, and as especially vulnerable relative to other young people. It demonstrates how these positions may be associated with ‘new’ or covert forms of morality and stigmatisation. Detailing the implications for ethnic minorities in particular, it adds to prior analyses of gender- and class-based inequities. The Sexual and Reproductive Justice framework, which encompasses notions of rights and justice, is discussed as an alternative to risk-based policy development that can attend to sexual and reproductive health inequities.
Bisexual erasure refers to the cultural de-legitimation of bisexuality as an intelligible sexual ... more Bisexual erasure refers to the cultural de-legitimation of bisexuality as an intelligible sexual identity. There is little South African research that considers how this occurs. Generally bisexuality is “a silenced sexuality” both in popular and academic discourse. Research has not attended to (women’s) “self-aware bisexual identities”, tending to focus on men’s bisexual practices or other people’s perceptions of bisexuals. This article is intended as a starting point for further local research. Using an intersectionality approach, it looks at how race, class, space and gender intertwine with sexuality in ways that further compound marginalisation or provide avenues for resistance to dominant norms from an autobiographical perspective. The analysis shows how bisexual erasure occurs through acts of non-recognition and misrecognition, as well as instances of resistance.
In Chapter 11, Julia C. Nentwich and Tracy Morison discuss Judith Butler's theory of performativi... more In Chapter 11, Julia C. Nentwich and Tracy Morison discuss Judith Butler's theory of performativity in the process of self-making.
Several qualitative researchers using discursive methodologies have noted how opposition to homos... more Several qualitative researchers using discursive methodologies have noted how opposition to homosexuality has not necessarily diminished, despite the general expression of liberal tolerance in many settings. Instead, heterosexist rhetoric has shifted to accommodate political change. Our research builds on this observation within the South African context, using a discursive psychology approach. We examine rhetorical strategies of " heterosexual recuperation " : the ways that heterosexual boundaries and the dominance of heterosexuality are maintained by speakers, at the same time as they attempt to avoid being heard as heterosexist. Drawing on data from a qualitative study conducted with heterosexual-identifying Black South Africans (32) from four provinces, we focus on talk that was resourced by a " discourse of tolerance " and characterised by speakers' concern to avoid the attribution of heterosexism. This talk was analysed using thematic analysis, to which discursive psychology techniques were applied. We identified two ways of speaking that relied on this discourse – (1) " As long as they do it in private " , and (2) " Flashing their homosexuality " – and show how they ultimately worked to recuperate heterosexuality and marginalise non-normative sexualities. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to a critical psychology that works to challenge hetero-patriarchal norms.
Worldwide, sexual and gender minorities struggle to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) s... more Worldwide, sexual and gender minorities struggle to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. In South Africa, sexual prejudice is entrenched and pervasive in health systems and SRH services do not cater for a diverse range of people. Though health reform is underway, little attention has been given to how sexuality is being addressed in this process, particularly in the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme currently being piloted. We analyse interview data generated in an NHI pilot district, using discursive methodology, informed by a sexual and reproductive justice standpoint. We show how sexual and gender minorities are discursively in/visibilised in health settings and discuss these findings in relation to the social justice and solidarity aims of health systems reform.
There is increasing visibility of dissident sexualities and genders in media debates about famili... more There is increasing visibility of dissident sexualities and genders in media debates about families, including resistant discourses that challenge delegitimising claims about queer families. There remains, however, a lack of research that assesses the ways in which discourses seeking to defend queer parenthood function to challenge or, at times, reinforce hetero-gendered norms. Families formed by gay men have generally received less attention, both in the media as well as academic scholarship. In this paper, we explore resistant discourses deployed in mainstream print media, attending particularly to news reports about queer fathers and their children. Through a critical thematic analysis of South African newspapers, informed by feminist discursive psychology, we identify four themes in resistant ways of talking: de-gendering parenthood, normalising queer parents, valorising queer parenting, and challenging the heteronormative gold standard. We conclude with the political implications of such resistant talk, as part of a project of transforming restrictive hetero-gendered norms.
Psychology of Women Quarterly
People who are voluntarily childless, or ‘‘childfree,’’ face considerable stigma. Researchers hav... more People who are voluntarily childless, or ‘‘childfree,’’ face considerable stigma. Researchers have begun to explore how these
individuals respond to stigma, usually focusing on interpersonal stigma management strategies. We explored participants’
responses to stigma in a way that is cognisant of broader social norms and gender power relations. Using a feminist discursive
psychology framework, we analysed women’s and men’s computer-assisted communication about their childfree status. Our
analysis draws attention to ‘‘identity work’’ in the context of stigma. We show how the strategic use of ‘‘choice’’ rhetoric
allowed participants to avoid stigmatised identities and was used in two contradictory ways. On the one hand, participants
drew on a ‘‘childfree-by-choice script,’’ which enabled them to hold a positive identity of themselves as autonomous, rational,
and responsible decision makers. On the other hand, they mobilised a ‘‘disavowal of choice script’’ that allowed a person who
is unable to choose childlessness (for various reasons) to hold a blameless identity regarding deviation from the norm of
parenthood. We demonstrate how choice rhetoric allowed participants to resist stigma and challenge pronatalism to some
extent; we discuss the political potential of these scripts for reproductive freedom.
Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary... more Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary Research Associate at Rhodes University in South Africa. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive justice, families, qualitative methodologies and feminist theories.
Qualitative Research in Psychology, Jul 2015
Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary... more Tracy Morison (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and an honorary Research Associate at Rhodes University in South Africa. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive justice, families, qualitative methodologies and feminist theories.
Qualitative Inquiry
Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical langua... more Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical language for thinking about gender. Despite this, Butlerian theory is difficult to apply, as Butler does not provide guidance on actual analysis of language use in context. In order to address this limitation, we suggest carefully supplementing performativity with the notion of performance in a manner that allows for the inclusion of relational specificities and the mechanisms through which gender, and gender trouble, occur. To do this, we turn to current developments within discursive psychology and narrative theory. We extend the narrative-discursive method proposed by Taylor and colleagues, infusing it with Butlerian theory in order to fashion a dual analytical lens, which we call the performativity-performance approach. We provide a brief example of how the proposed analytical process may be implemented.
Qualitative Inquiry, 2013
Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical langua... more Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical language for thinking about gender. Despite this, Butlerian theory is difficult to apply, as Butler does not provide guidance on actual analysis of language use in context. In order to address this limitation, we suggest carefully supplementing performativity with the notion of performance in a manner that allows for the inclusion of relational specificities and the mechanisms through which gender, and gender trouble, occur. To do this, we turn to current developments within discursive psychology and narrative theory. We extend the narrative-discursive method proposed by Taylor and colleagues, infusing it with Butlerian theory in order to fashion a dual analytical lens, which we call the performativity-performance approach. We provide a brief example of how the proposed analytical process may be implemented.
Qualitative Research, 2013
Researchers who have attempted to make sense of silence in data have generally considered literal... more Researchers who have attempted to make sense of silence in data have generally considered literal silences or such things as laughter. We consider the analysis of veiled silences where participants speak, but their speaking serves as ‘noise’ that ‘veils’, or masks, their inability or unwillingness to talk about a (potentially sensitive) topic. Extending Lisa Mazzei’s ‘problematic of silence’ by using our performativity-performance analytical method, we propose the purposeful use of ‘unusual conversational moves’, the deployment of researcher reflexivity, and the analysis of trouble and repair as methods to expose taken-for-granted normative frameworks in veiled silences. We illustrate the potential of these research practices through reference to our study on men’s involvement in reproductive decision-making, in which participants demonstrated an inability to engage with the topic. The veiled silence that this produced, together with what was said, pointed to the operation of procreative heteronormativity.
Home Affairs: Rethinking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families in Contemporary South Africa (edited by Carien Lubbe-De Beer and John Marnell), 2013
Drawing on a selection of print media reportage, we examine the social and public discourses that... more Drawing on a selection of print media reportage, we examine the social and public discourses that underpin and resist normative meanings associated with ‘the family’ as a social unit and, specifically, how same-gendered families are constructed within this material.
International Journal of Family Matters
This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making ... more This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making (i.e., decisions related to becoming a first-time parent) in which the focus was on White, heterosexual men. Little is known about the roles and involvement of these men in decision-making processes. They comprise an invisible norm in research as heteronormative assumptions about parenthood cause them to be overlooked. This oversight-exacerbated by the pervasive problem perspective in social science-forms the research rationale. Conducted within a gender-relational framework, the study included 23 heterosexual, White South African women and men with a view to exploring how gender constructions influence this process and affect the gender power relations. Interviews with participants were analyzed using a narrative-discursive method and the findings show how an assumption of childbearing shaped the data and may have implications for female-male power relations in reproductive partnerships.
In D. Wylie (ed.) Toxic Belonging? Identity and Ecology in Southern Africa. Newcastle (UK): Cambridge Scholars Press., 2008
What makes kinship queer? This collection from leading and emerging thinkers in gender and sexual... more What makes kinship queer? This collection from leading and emerging thinkers in gender and sexualities interrogates the politics of belonging, shining a light on the outcasts, rebels, and pioneers. Queer Kinship brings together an array of thought-provoking perspectives on what it means to love and be loved, to ‘do family’ and to belong in the South African context. The collection includes a number of different topic areas, disciplinary approaches, and theoretical lenses on familial relations, reproduction, and citizenship. The text amplifies the voices of those who are bending, breaking, and remaking the rules of being and belonging. Photo-essays and artworks offer moving glimpses into the new life worlds being created in and among the ‘normal’ and the mundane. Taken as a whole, this text offers a critical and intersectional perspective that addresses some important gaps in the scholarship on kinship and families. Queer Kinship makes an innovative contribution to international studies in kinship, gender, and sexualities. It will be a valuable resource to scholars, students, and activists working in these areas.
Queer persons enjoy constitutional protection of their rights in South Africa, yet still encounte... more Queer persons enjoy constitutional protection of their rights in South Africa, yet still encounter a great deal of persistent stigma and discrimination (Human Rights Watch 2011; Msibi 2009). Much of this negativity relates to how those from gender and sexual minority groups ostensibly disrupt the procreative imperative. For the most part, having and raising children remains highly valued, contributing to the positive social identity of capable, selfless and responsible adult, and shaping assumptions of what constitutes full social citizenship. Accordingly, queer persons—widely assumed to be ‘childless’ or incapable of parenthood—are positioned as flouting an important normative expectation of gendered personhood: that of being a (biological) parent (Morison & Macleod 2015). Nevertheless, when those other than heterosexual do take up the rights that commonly designate citizenship by becoming parents, they are often maligned and marginalised (Lynch & Morison 2016; Rothmann, 2011) or more generally constructed as a threat to traditional, hetero-patriarchal families (Bernstein & Reiman 2002). This is especially true for gay men, on whom we focus in this chapter.
An important area within applied social psychology is the health and wellbeing of individuals, co... more An important area within applied social psychology is the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and societies and how this is related to broader social, cultural, and global contexts. Drawing on the insights and methods of social psychology, critical health psychology works to interrogate these relationships to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. In this way, it extends beyond the more conventional approaches to physical health and wellbeing found in traditional health psychology (Horrocks and Johnson, 2012). Critical health psychologists are interested in advancing new psychological understandings of health and illness. Like applied social psychologists, they are also committed to finding ways to contribute to the transformation of an unhealthy world (Murray and Poland, 2006). These two features delineate the ‘critical’ in critical health psychology. Taking such an approach to health psychology, therefore, means opening one’s eyes to new ways of seeing health-related issues (Lyons and Chamberlain, 2017).
How does the decision to become a parent unfold for heterosexual men? Is becoming a father a 'dec... more How does the decision to become a parent unfold for heterosexual men? Is becoming a father a 'decision' at all or a series of events? These questions are the starting point for this critical book, in which the authors unravel the social and interpersonal processes – shaped by deeply entrenched socio-cultural norms – that come to bear on parenthood decision-making in the South African context. Drawing on the narratives of white, Afrikaans women and men, Men's Pathways to Parenthood uses an innovative discursive method to illuminate the roles masculinity, whiteness, class, and heteronormativity play in these accounts. Men's Pathways to Parenthood addresses an under-researched topic in gender studies – namely, men and reproductive decision-making – and will be an important resource for scholars in gender studies, sexualities, and reproductive health, as well as those interested in innovative approaches to discursive research.
The publication of this book forms part of a civil society programme of action for the African Wo... more The publication of this book forms part of a civil society programme of action for the African Women’s Decade, co-ordinated by South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID). It reports on the main issues facing South African women, namely: 1) poverty eradication in the context of gender; 2) early childhood development (ECD) in the context of gender; 3) violence against women; and 4) co-ordination of civil society initiatives. A fifth theme which cuts across all the others is employment creation.
Why, after almost two decades of dedicated attempts to improve Sexual and Reproductive Health in ... more Why, after almost two decades of dedicated attempts to improve Sexual and Reproductive Health in Aotearoa/New Zealand, are we still seeing significant inequities between groups? Why is it that the ones lagging behind—youth, Maori, Pasifika—are the very groups who are prioritised in Aotearoa/New Zealand’s Strategy? In this Policy Brief, Tracy Morison,
Sarah Herbert, and Daygan Eagar show that the current ‘risk-centred’ policy approach cannot fulfil the government’s aspirations for reducing youth SRH disparities by reaching those “most in need”. They offer an alternative policy approach that draws on a Reproductive Justice framework for addressing the SRH needs of all young people.
This booklet was produced by Tracy Morison and Ingrid Lynch as part of a joint initiative between... more This booklet was produced by Tracy Morison and Ingrid Lynch as part of a joint initiative between the Human Sciences Research Council, Triangle Project and Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA), with funding support largely from the Ford Foundation and additional funding from the Open Society Foundation SA. The information included in this booklet stems from a research project conducted with South African gay and bisexual men, around their parenthood decision-making and experiences.
The growing body of South African research on fatherhood has considered its social and cultural s... more The growing body of South African research on fatherhood has considered its social and cultural significance, especially in relation to gender, class, race and heterosexuality. Far less attention has been given to fathers who identify as other than heterosexual. Tracy Morison, Ingrid Lynch and Vasu Reddy
discuss some findings from their Ford Foundation-funded research on fatherhood, which turns the spotlight on gay and bisexual men, and explain why encouraging family diversity is important for us all. (Direct link http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/review/hsrc-review-january-2015/all-in-the-family)
This Research Brief summarises the findings of a study conducted in 2015 for the Aids Foundation ... more This Research Brief summarises the findings of a study conducted in 2015 for the Aids Foundation of South Africa (AFSA) as part of its ‘Making SRHR Real’ programme. One aim of this programme is to gather scientifically sound evidence to inform interventions and to ensure that the experiences and needs of communities reach policy-makers and opinion-formers. The research was in the form of a Desk Review focused on two provinces: the Eastern Cape, with an emphasis on OR Tambo district; and
Mpumalanga, with an emphasis on Gert Sibande.
Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights: Barriers & Boundaries, Jun 2015
The study builds on research conducted in the second year of the AIDS Foundation of South Africa ... more The study builds on research conducted in the second year of the AIDS Foundation of South Africa (AFSA) three-year programme (2014-2017), Making Sexual and Reproductive Rights Real. The programme is intended to strengthen SRHR and community-based HIV/AIDS interventions, and to build the evidence base for effective regional responses. In line with recommendations for further research from earlier studies forming part of the AFSA three-year programme, (see Morison, Moolman & Reddy, 2015; Morison & Lynch, 2016a), this study examined (a) healthcare workers' perceptions and treatment of sexual and gender minorities; (b) the perceptions and experiences of LGBTI persons around accessing quality SRH services; (c) the range of LGBTI-specific SRH services required as part of quality SRHR; and (d) effective practices and lessons from organisations and public-private partnerships towards addressing LGBTI SRHR. The current study approached these research priorities with a deepened focus on a rural National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot area in the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa.
HSRC Review, 2013
Why, despite the progress South Africa has made in the area of sexual and reproductive health rig... more Why, despite the progress South Africa has made in the area of sexual and reproductive health rights are there still unacceptable rates of 'maternal mortality'? Why have increases in contraceptive usage, a decline in teenage fertility, and improved access to skilled caregivers not translated into improvements in many women's SRH? Tracy Morison reviews the approach to SRH thus far.
There is little South African research on gender and sexual minorities’ reproductive decision-mak... more There is little South African research on gender and sexual minorities’ reproductive decision-making and, to date, no published work explicitly focused on gay men. Motivated by the virtual absence of gay men in research, as well as their marginalisation more generally, we undertook a qualitative investigation of gay men’s thoughts, feelings and perspectives of fatherhood, fatherhood decisions, and experiences of pathways to parenthood. Framed by a reproductive justice perspective, the aim of the study was not only to generate new knowledge, but also to inform policy, services, and advocacy. In this paper we present some of the findings from our discursive analysis of participants’ accounts of their own experiences of the pathway to parenthood or remaining ‘childfree’. We locate our analysis within the broader South African context and show how the entanglement of various social identity markers—particularly gender, race, and class—come to bear on participants’ experiences.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is investigating SRHR service delivery and systems fai... more The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is investigating SRHR service delivery and systems failure in the public sector and the effects of systemic failures, attitudes and practices on the SRHR of LGBTI people. The research involved: (1) a desk review of the evidence about systemic failures in specific regions and (2) an in-depth qualitative study of queer people's lived experiences, with a particular focus on
In this paper we report on our research about same--gendered families (SGFs), specifically work t... more In this paper we report on our research about same--gendered families (SGFs), specifically work that explores the ways that these families have been constructed in the media. Our work is based on a recognition of the potential and importance of media representations for queer politics. Given that lesbian and gay concerns are routinely debated in the media, it is important to investigate how these issues are reported on, because this has implications for our political strategies in relation to sexualities and gender ). Yet very little scholarship that considers this ). There has been some research on construction of SGFs in British and US talk--shows (e.g. and news media (Landau 2009), as well as news coverage in Australia . Our work adds to this small body of knowledge, and focuses on our unique local context. Discussion of SGFs in the SA mainstream media has increased since the legalisation of adoption and civil unions by same--gendered partners; although formal recognition of civil and reproductive rights for LGBTI persons is often at odds with public acceptance (Lubbe, 2012). Indeed, like many northern researchers, we identified a tension in South African media reportage between liberal ideology that seeks to promote diversity and conservative ideology that attempts to uphold the heterosexual nuclear family (HNF) . Our interest in this paper is on the transformative potential of resistant discourses that work in support of SGFs, as identified in South African print media. Previous research on media constructions of SGFs has identified various resistant discourses that counter the usual arguments against queer parenting. These studies show that such discourses frequently collude with heteronormativity and get appropriated into an assimilationist political strategy, rather than a transformative one. In this paper we explore the extent to which resistant discourses in the SA media challenge or collude with heteronormativity. We discuss the findings from our 2 studies of constructions of SGFs and queer parents in in South African mainstream English and Afrikaans newspapers (print and online). in relation to resistant discourses that we identified and the political effects of these. Study 1-a smaller exploratory study-provides some contexts, and study 2-which we focus on here-builds on this work. Both studies took a discursive approach analysing the rhetorical organisation of talk, the discursive purpose of particular rhetorical strategies, and how these were related to broader power relations. The studies investigate (a) how same--gendered families/lesbian and gay parents and their children are constructed in print news articles and (b) the broader understandings of same--gendered parenting, and sexualities more generally constructed in these articles. The exploratory first study, conducted by was based on an ad hoc collection of 41 print news articles published between 1994 and January 2013, which encompasses a period of significant legal reform. It focused on constructions of same--gendered parenting more generally. The second study, conducted by both of us, aimed to build on the findings of the previous work. It is part of a larger project about gay and bisexual men and fatherhood; we therefore also wanted to consider representations of queer fathers in particular, noting the absence of research on this topic. This 2 nd study involved a more systematic search for relevant articles and a somewhat expanded time
Today I'm presenting some of the preliminary findings of a study about voluntary childlessness co... more Today I'm presenting some of the preliminary findings of a study about voluntary childlessness conducted with Indian, Polish, and fellow South African collaborators. Voluntary childlessness is also frequently referred to as being childless by choice or childfree. The term childfree (as opposed to 'childless') is intended to show that not having children "can be an active and fulfilling choice" i , and to indicate agency and freedom from social obligation. The distinguishing feature of voluntary childlessness is the deliberate avoidance of parenthood, and this is precisely what opens up childfree people, especially married heterosexuals, to greater stigma than the temporarily or involuntarily childless, since it is seen as willing and deliberate deviation from the norm ii .
Despite the increased focus on men in reproductive research, little is known about male involveme... more Despite the increased focus on men in reproductive research, little is known about male involvement in the initial decision/s regarding parenthood (i.e., to become a parent or not) and the subsequent decision-making that may ensue (e.g., choices about timing or spacing of births). In particular, the parenthood decision-making of “White”, heterosexual men from the middle class has been understudied, as indicated in the existing literature. In South Africa, this oversight has been exacerbated by the tendency for researchers to concentrate on “problematic” men, to the exclusion of the “boring, normal case”. I argue that this silence in the literature is a result of the taken for granted nature of parenthood in the “normal” heterosexual life course. In this study, I have turned the spotlight onto the norm of “Whiteness” and heterosexuality by studying those who have previously been overlooked by researchers. I focus on “White” Afrikaans men’s involvement in parenthood decision-making. My aim was to explore how constructions of gender inform male involvement in decision-making, especially within the South African context where social transformation has challenged traditional conceptions of male selfhood giving rise to new and contested masculine identities and new discourses of manhood and fatherhood. In an effort to ensure that women’s voices are not marginalised in the research, as is often the case in studies of men and masculinity, I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews about male involvement in decision-making with both “White” Afrikaans women and men. There were 23 participants in total, who all identified as heterosexual and middle-class. The participants were divided into two age cohorts (21 – 30 years and >40 years), which were then differentiated according to gender, reproductive status, and relationship status.
Treating the interviews as jointly produced narratives, I analysed them by means of a performativity/performance lens. This dual analytic lens focuses on how particular narrative performances are simultaneously shaped by the interview setting and the broader discursive context. The lens was fashioned by synthesising Butler’s theory of performativity with Taylor’s narrative-discursive method. This synthesis (1) allows for Butler’s notion of “performativity” to be supplemented with that of “performance”; (2) provides a concrete analytical strategy in the form of positioning analysis; and (3) draws attention to both the micro politics of the interview conversation and the operation of power on the macro level, including the possibility of making “gender trouble”. The findings of the study suggest that the participants experienced difficulty narrating about male involvement in parenthood decision-making, owing to the taken for granted nature of parenthood for heterosexual adults. This was evident in participants’ sidelining of issues of “deciding” and “planning” and their alternate construal of childbearing as a non-choice, which, significantly served to bolster hetero-patriarchal norms. A central rhetorical tool for accomplishing these purposes was found in the construction of the “sacralised” child. In discursively manoeuvring around the central problematic, the participants ultimately produced a “silence” in the data that repeats the one in the research literature.
Culture, Health & Sexuality, 2013
Psychology in Society (PINS), 2011
The baseline results revealed that violence is commonplace and occurs mostly in classrooms, on sp... more The baseline results revealed that violence is commonplace and occurs mostly in classrooms, on sports fields, or in bathrooms.
A culture of silence that normalises widespread violence High rates of sexual violence, with youn... more A culture of silence that normalises widespread violence High rates of sexual violence, with younger learners most vulnerable As illustrated in , rates of sexual violence experienced by primary and high school learners are high, with intimate partner violence experienced by 41% of younger learners in the 12 months prior to the study. High rates of educator-perpetrated sexual violence are another worrying finding.
Psychology in Society, 2011
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, May 12, 2021
The reproductive justice framework holds much promise for guiding research that can contribute to... more The reproductive justice framework holds much promise for guiding research that can contribute to social change. Its limited integration and use in social psychology therefore represents a missed opportunity for justiceoriented social researchers. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the reproductive justice framework and demonstrate its value for social psychologists studying sexual and reproductive issues. Using the example of contraceptive provision, rights-based sexual and reproductive health research is contrasted with reproductive justice-oriented research to demonstrate how a reproductive justice lens can extend the analytical focus to illuminate the complex roots of an issue. This is crucial for developing policy and interventions that contribute toward longer-term systemic change and, ultimately, social transformation.
‘If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it’ proclaimed author Zo... more ‘If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it’ proclaimed author Zora Neale Hurston, writing during the US civil rights movement. Silence and pain are certainly central to the lives of many trans people. The term ‘trans’, also the book title, can be read as being inclusive of different ‘types’ of trans-identified people. The idea of transsexualism/transgenderism alone has long been unmentionable in most contexts owing to longstanding stigma and prejudice
Routledge eBooks, Jun 24, 2021
Feminism & Psychology, Aug 12, 2019
Youth sexuality is typically constructed as a social problem, and associated with a range of nega... more Youth sexuality is typically constructed as a social problem, and associated with a range of negative consequences for larger society and for young people themselves-especially young women. The media play a role in perpetuating this dominant construction, but may also offer a space for resistance. In this article, mainstream news media reportage on youth sexual and reproductive issues in Aotearoa are discursively analysed to identify instances of resistance to oppressive discourses. Taking a feminist poststructuralist perspective, the aim is to connect news reporting, as a representational practice, with broader relations of power. The focus of the analysis, therefore, is on whether and how young people are allowed a voice in news reportage, and to what effect their voices are deployed. The analysis demonstrates not only that youth voice is relatively muted in comparison to experts, but also that it is frequently used to reinforce the dominant constructions of youth sexuality (as problematic and risky). Yet, instances of resistance are also evident. These are assessed in relation to their impact on gender power relations and possibilities for amplifying resistance are discussed.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing eBooks, Nov 4, 2015
Qualitative Research in Psychology, Sep 12, 2022
» Prof Melvyn Freeman from the National Department of Health who has taken time out of his busy s... more » Prof Melvyn Freeman from the National Department of Health who has taken time out of his busy schedule to attend the conference and give us his input ; » The previous and present Vice-Chancellors of Rhodes University, Dr Saleem Badat and Dr Sizwe Mabizela, for initially supporting the bid to host the conference and then the actual hosting of the conference; » The Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies for hosting the film maker Rehad Desai to be in attendance at the screening of the film Miners Shot Down as well as putting together the sidebar of documentaries that will be screened during the conference;
Report commissioned by the International Women's Forum of South Africa (IWFSA) and South Afri... more Report commissioned by the International Women's Forum of South Africa (IWFSA) and South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID), August
The Second ISA Forum of Sociology (August 1-4, 2012), Aug 4, 2012
This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making ... more This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making (i.e., decisions related to becoming a first-time parent) in which the focus was on White, heterosexual men. Little is known about the roles and involvement of these men in decision-making processes. They comprise an invisible norm in research as heteronormative assumptions about parenthood cause them to be overlooked. This oversight—exacerbated by the pervasive problem perspective in social science—forms the research rationale. Conducted within a gender-relational framework, the study included 23 heterosexual, White South African women and men with a view to exploring how gender constructions influence this process and affect the gender power relations. Interviews with participants were analyzed using a narrative–discursive method and the findings show how an assumption of childbearing shaped the data and may have implications for female–male power relations in reproductive partnerships.
Culture, Health & Sexuality, May 5, 2022
Routledge eBooks, Sep 20, 2019
Psychology in Society, 2016
Several qualitative researchers using discursive methodologies have noted how opposition to homos... more Several qualitative researchers using discursive methodologies have noted how opposition to homosexuality has not necessarily diminished, despite the general expression of liberal tolerance in many settings. Instead, heterosexist rhetoric has shifted to accommodate political change. Our research builds on this observation within the South African context, using a discursive psychology approach. We examine rhetorical strategies of "heterosexual recuperation": the ways that heterosexual boundaries and the dominance of heterosexuality are maintained by speakers, at the same time as they attempt to avoid being heard as heterosexist. Drawing on data from a qualitative study conducted with heterosexual-identifying Black South Africans (32) from four provinces, we focus on talk that was resourced by a "discourse of tolerance" and characterised by speakers' concern to avoid the attribution of heterosexism. This talk was analysed using thematic analysis, to which discursive psychology techniques were applied. We identified two ways of speaking that relied on this discourse-(1) "As long as they do it in private", and (2) "Flashing their homosexuality"-and show how they ultimately worked to recuperate heterosexuality and marginalise non-normative sexualities. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to a critical psychology that works to challenge hetero-patriarchal norms.