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Stigma, Social Change and the Well-Being of Same-Sex Couples

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Couple Relationships in a Global Context

Part of the book series: European Family Therapy Association Series ((EFTAS))

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Abstract

The last two decades have witnessed a tremendous amount of social and policy changes pertaining to same-sex relationships. However, it is important to recognise that the vast majority of countries across the globe do not legally recognise same-sex couples, and same-sex relationships continue to be stigmatised, even in countries that provide equal relationship recognition. This chapter provides a review and integration of recent theoretical and empirical contributions from the author and his colleagues (Frost and Fingerhut, Group Proc Intergroup Relat 19:477–492, 2016; Frost and LeBlanc, Stress in the lives of same-sex couples, Oxford University Press, 2018; Hammack et al., J Sex Res 56:556–592, 2019; LeBlanc et al., J Marriage Fam 80:397–408, 2018; LeBlanc et al., J Marriage Fam 77:40–59, 2015) with the aim of highlighting the psychological and social factors that contribute to the well-being of same-sex couples in rapidly changing social and policy contexts. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of devaluing social discourses, new theories of the couple-level experience of minority stress, and resilience resources that can potentially explain how many same-sex couples thrive in the face of stigma and social inequality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Science, University College London, London, UK

    David M. Frost

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  1. David M. Frost
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Studies, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Angela Abela

  2. Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Sue Vella

  3. Department of Health, Physical Education and Consumer Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Suzanne Piscopo

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Frost, D.M. (2020). Stigma, Social Change and the Well-Being of Same-Sex Couples. In: Abela, A., Vella, S., Piscopo, S. (eds) Couple Relationships in a Global Context. European Family Therapy Association Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37712-0_10

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