Sue Wilkinson

Transitions from Heterosexuality to Lesbianism: The Discursive Production of Lesbian Identities.

This article explored the discursive production of a major disjuncture in sexual identity in adult life: womens accounts of transitions to lesbianism after a substantial period of heterosexuality. Eighty semistructured interviews with self-identified lesbians, all with at least 10 years prior heterosexual experience (plus additional materials drawn from published autobiographical sources), were ana lyzed within a social constructionist framework. The article examined the creation of contexts in which sexual identity transitions become possible, explored how such transitions are defined and marked, identified the consequences, and detailed the continuing development of lesbian identity posttransition. In conclusion, the article reflected on the status and salience of such data in support ing the social constructionist position, particularly in the face of the continuing popularity of essen tialist theories of sexual identity development

Whose breast is it anyway?: A feminist consideration of advice and ‘treatment’ for breast cancer

Abstract In asserting the importance of breast cancer as a feminist issue, the authors look at the treatment of women with breast cancer, both at the hands of the medical profession and within the ‘alternative’, self-help movement. The authors argue that both orthodox medicine and ‘New Age’ healing are harmful to women with breast cancer, and that a feminist approach is badly needed. The authors sketch out some of the characteristics of such a theory and consider how it has informed, and might continue to inform, practice.

Conversation Analysis, Gender and Sexuality

This chapter explores the use of conversation analysis in studying gender and sexuality from a feminist perspective. We are both long-time feminist researchers and activists (see, for example, Kitzinger, 1987, 2004; Kitzinger & Wilkinson, 2004; Wilkinson 1986, 2007; Wilkinson & Kitzinger, 1993). Feminism means developing an understanding of oppression on the basis of gender and sexuality and acting to end it. Oppression operates at many levels – from rape, physical violence and intimidation (Amnesty International, 2001), through discriminatory legislation and institutional practices (Wilkinson & Kitzinger, 2006), to beauty practices (Jeffreys, 2005), offensive joking, banter and innuendo (Hall & Bucholtz, 1995). In our current research, we focus on mundane, routine, everyday forms of oppression: the ‘micro-inequalities’ of social life (Haslett & Lipman, 1997). We are committed to understanding how sexist and heterosexist presumptions are threaded through the ordinary practices of talk and interaction that, cumulatively, constitute an oppressive social order. Conversation analysis offers a powerful and rigorous method for exposing the mundane oppressions of everyday life.