Damien Wayne Riggs

Challenging the monoculturalism of psychology: Towards a more socially accountable pedagogy and practice

In this paper I employ the notion of a “socially accountable psychology” (Davidson, 1998) to explore the whiteness of psychological epistemologies. I suggest that within a multicultural society psychology needs to develop an understanding of the ways that white systems of representation shape pedagogy and practice. In order to do this, I first outline the ways in which the discipline may be conceptualised as a cultural practice that is both informed by, and constitutive of, racialised practices in Australia. I then outline a constructionist approach to understanding psychical processes that values multiple, contextual understandings of knowledge production. I conclude by suggesting that we as white psychologists need to pay particular attention to the “politics of therapy”, and the privileges that we hold.

Developmentalism and the rhetoric of best interests of the child: challenging heteronormative constructions of families and parenting in foster care

Abstract The foster care system in Australia has recently recognised the importance of encouraging lesbians and gay men to become foster carers. Whilst this may be seen as an important step towards overcoming social stereotypes that position lesbians and gay men as unfit parents, I propose that foster care public policy in Australia is shaped by a number of key assumptions that effectively exclude lesbian and gay foster parents. In particular, I focus on how the logic of developmentalism [where children are assumed to follow a (hetero)normative developmental pathway] and the rhetoric of best interests of the child (within which a particular moral framework is employed to judge who can and who cannot protect children) work to recenter a normative understanding of families and parenting that encourages lesbians and gay parents to adopt a heterosexual model of parenting.

Characteristics of men willing to act as sperm donors in the context of identity-release legislation

BACKGROUND Although ongoing legislative changes are important to protect the rights of all involved in assisted reproductive technologies, it cannot be guaranteed that legislation will ensure the successful operation of reproductive health clinics, as is indicated by ongoing reports of a dearth of donor sperm in clinics in some countries. METHODS Data were 1428 profiles taken from a website that aims to facilitate relationships between those seeking donor sperm and men willing to donate their sperm. Data were coded as three independent variables: age, relationship status and country, and four dependent variables: motivation to donate, willingness to be identified, willingness to be involved with children conceived of donations and beliefs about who should determine the level of involvement. RESULTS Non-parametric testing indicated that men aged under 26 or over 46, and who were either single or in a same-sex relationship, were most likely to be willing to be identified to children (P< 0.05), and to desire involvement with children (P< 0.01). A significant proportion of men aged between 26 and 46 years of age (P< 0.001) were motivated by a desire to procreate and were unwilling to be identified, as were a significant number of men in opposite-sex relationships (P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Although limited by its reliance upon a sample constituted by men living in western countries who completed a self-report profile and who had not received counselling about their potential role as donors, this study draws attention to the potential impact of age and sexual orientation upon intentions to donate.

Lesbian mothers, gay sperm donors, and community: Ensuring the well-being of children and families

Abstract As Australian reproductive health continues to be shaped by legal and social heterosexism, lesbian women seeking to conceive are often reliant upon gay men to act as known donors. As previous legal cases demonstrate, this can result in contestations between donors and recipients that result in negative well-being outcomes for both parties, and which highlight the limitations of coalitionism within gay and lesbian communities. Using data collected via interviews with Australian gay men who have acted as known donors, this paper examines some of the ways in which such men experience the negotiating of sperm donation, and how this is often shaped by normative assumptions surrounding lesbian parenting and reproduction. Importantly, the findings also emphasise the positive experiences of sperm donation of some gay men. Suggestions are made for opportunities to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for negotiations between donors and recipients, with a particular focus upon children’s rights as citizens

Role of foster family belonging in recovery from child maltreatment

Research on foster care suggests that children who have experienced abuse are susceptible to a range of negative life outcomes. Such research also suggests that children removed into foster care can recover from abuse if given opportunities to develop healing relationships with caregivers. Drawing on qualitative data from a national research project on Australian foster carers, this paper explores how foster families enact forms of belonging that potentially work to ameliorate experiences of abuse among foster children. With a specific focus on experiences of family solidarity, rituals, identity, and culture among foster carers and the children in their care, the findings highlight the role that foster carers can play in contributing to national child protection agendas aimed at addressing experiences of maltreatment among children removed into care in Australia.

Representations of reproductive citizenship and vulnerability in media reports of offshore surrogacy

In his elaboration of the concept of ‘reproductive citizenship’, Turner (Turner B.S., 2001. The erosion of citizenship. The British journal of sociology, 52 (2), 189–209) suggested something of a homogeneous accumulation of cultural capital to those who make a reproductive contribution to contemporary western societies. The present article takes up this suggestion and proposes that whilst reproduction is indeed a hallmark of contemporary citizenship, the cultural capital arising from this is still differentiated by mode of reproduction, with reproductive heterosex remaining the norm against which other modes are compared. This norm, it is suggested, produces what is termed here ‘reproductive vulnerability’, namely vulnerability arising from being located outside of the norm. Through an analysis of media representations of Australian people who have undertaken offshore surrogacy arrangements in India, this article demonstrates how reproductive vulnerability is highlighted only to be dismissed through recourse to the construction of those who undertake reproductive travel as agentic citizens. The article concludes by considering what it would take for an ethics of reproductive travel to exist; one in which multiple, incommensurable vulnerabilities are taken into account, and the representation of which encourages, rather than inhibits, careful thought about the reproductive desires of all people.

The management of accusations of racism in Celebrity Big Brother

The 2007 UK series of Celebrity Big Brother drew considerable attention to Britain as a result of the alleged racist bullying of Bollywood film star Shilpa Shetty by four British celebrity housemates. At stake in these allegations was any perception that Britain as a country promotes inclusivity and discourages racism. In this article, we examine, through an analysis of the exit interviews conducted with the four housemates in question, how accusations of racism were made by the host of Big Brother, and how racism was almost made to disappear in the interviews. Specifically, we elaborate on how racism was constructed not simply as an individual aberration, but more precisely as a matter of perception. We then explore how the host of the interviews avoided making accusations of racism herself by implying that it was others who perceived the behaviours of the housemates as racist, and by using other words (such as ‘bullying’) rather than explicitly referring to racism. We conclude by outlining the implications of our findings for future discursive research on racism, and we emphasize the need to further explore how rhetorical strategies aimed at denying racism operate in the service of shoring up privileged identities.

Institutional Stressors and Individual Strengths: Policy and Practice Directions for Working with Australian Lesbian and Gay Foster Carers

In response to the current shortfall in the number of registered foster carers in Australia, many agencies are now actively recruiting lesbians and gay men as foster carers. Importantly, however, this move towards recognising the role that lesbians and gay men may play as foster carers has on the whole not been supported by laws or policies specifically aimed at protecting such carers. Additionally, findings from a national research project on foster care in Australia presented in this paper highlight the ongoing heterosexism and homophobia faced by lesbian and gay foster carers when working with social workers and birth parents. Importantly, however, these findings highlight not only the negative aspects of foster care provision experienced by lesbians and gay men, but also the positive ways in which they continue to create families and resist or rework social norms. Implications for practice are made with specific reference to challenging such norms amongst social workers and advocating for legal change to support lesbian and gay foster carers.

Healthcare experiences of gender diverse Australians: a mixed-methods, self-report survey

BackgroundTo date the healthcare experiences of gender diverse Australians have received little attention. Previous international research indicates a range of both negative and positive healthcare experiences amongst this diverse population, with negative experiences being those most frequently reported.MethodAn online survey was designed to examine the healthcare experiences of gender diverse Australians. The survey included Likert scales asking participants to rate their mental and physical health, and their experiences with psychiatrists, general practitioners and surgeons (in terms of perceived comfort, discrimination and information provision). Open-ended questions provided the opportunity for participants to further elaborate on their experiences. Data were collected between June 2012 and July 2013. Quantitative data analysis was conducted utilising SPSS 17.0, including ANCOVAs and correlations to examine the relationships between variables. Qualitative data were coded by the authors in terms of negative or positive responses and the validity of ratings were assessed utilising Cohens kappa.Results110 people assigned male at birth (MAAB) and 78 people assigned female at birth (FAAB) completed two separate surveys. All identified as gender diverse as defined in this paper. 70% of participants had accessed a psychiatrist. Participants MAAB rated their experiences with psychiatrists more highly than participants FAAB. 80% of participants had accessed a general practitioner. Comfort with, and respect from, general practitioners were both positively correlated with mental health, whilst discrimination was negatively correlated with mental health. 42.5% of participants had undertaken sex-affirming surgery. Those who had such surgery reported higher levels of physical and mental health than those who had not undertaken surgery. Participants MAAB reported more positive experiences of surgery than did participants FAAB.ConclusionsFindings highlight the need for increased education of medical practitioners in regards to engaging with gender diverse clients.

On accountability: Towards a white middle-class queer 'post identity politics identity politics'

Writing about white middle-class queer subjectivities is a necessarily difficult task. Partly, this is because of ongoing debates over identity politics (and indeed post-identity politics), and partly because writing as a white middle-class queer always appears to invoke a particular ‘yes but’ (‘yes I am white and middle-class but I am also queer’). In this article I outline one way of engaging in a white middle-class queer praxis that takes into account these two issues, and uses them as a starting place from which to think about the intersections of whiteness, queerness and class in potentially novel ways. Drawing on the work of Jodi Dean, I elaborate what I term a ‘white middle-class queer post-identity politics identity politics’ that centres issues of reciprocity and accountability by considering the role of others in the constitution of the self. Recognizing the fundamental indebtedness that arises from this represents one means through which to negotiate a speaking position as a white middle-class queer that evokes an altogether different ‘yes but’, one that is mindful of race and class privilege.