A family by choice: Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman on queer kinship and broadening the definition of a family

There is no one-size-fits-all structure for the American family. Research shows more people are living in multigenerational households and in other arrangements that look different from the “traditional” nuclear family, a concept some argue has always been a myth. In this essay, Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman argue that what constitutes a family isn’t solely a private affair. Rather, the definition of a family has political and economic consequences, with some families protected and others challenged. Bradway and Freeman explain the concept of “queer kinship,” describing a range of relationships in which people love and care for each other, and advocate for “expansive understandings of the family.”

Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman, "What Constitutes a Family? Don’t Ask Conservatives" The Nation, 30 August 2022

 

1. Bradway and Freeman discuss many relationships and household structures that exist beyond the “traditional” American nuclear family. What is one form of kinship beyond the nuclear family that you find interesting? Why? Give an example of this form of kinship, either from pop culture, movies, TV, or your own experience. Explain how this form of kinship is protected, represented, challenged, and/or marginalized in contemporary U.S. society.
   
2. Bradway and Freeman introduce the concept of “queer kinship” in their essay. Explain what this concept means in your own words. In your definition, find a relevant quote from Bradway and Freeman’s essay that helps you explain the concept accurately, and use the templates in Chapter 3 to properly sandwich this quote. Consider both terms: what do the terms “queer” and “kinship” suggest? What is useful about these terms? What other terms might you use instead? Why?
3. In two places in their essay, Bradway and Freeman explicitly state who has “a stake” in the argument over who gets to decide what a family is. Locate these two places. Who are the stakeholders they identify? Why, according to Bradway and Freeman, should these groups care about this conversation? What groups might have a stake in promoting the “traditional” definition of the American family, and why? Use templates from Chapter 7 to reframe Bradway and Freeman’s response to the “so what” and “who cares” questions. Explain where you would place these responses in Bradway and Freeman’s essay.
4. Many policies, including health insurance coverage and family leave, rely on a “traditional” definition of the nuclear family to determine who has access to care. Read this essay, which discusses how these narrow definitions affect those in “chosen families,” including many LGBTQ+ people. How would Bradway and Freeman respond to this argument? Imagine you are drafting a work or school leave policy that accounts for a range of kinship relationships and “different forms of belonging.” What factors or questions would you consider in drafting this policy?

Comments

[Amaiya]

Reading this article made me upset that the world is still afraid of gay people. This article was a great insight of a point of view of a family that was discriminated against. This affected older generations such as the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and even the early 2000’s. During those times it was extremely dangerous to be yourself as a gay person. Being a young black 18 year old lesbian woman, that in it’s self is a struggle. The gay rights movement will live on just as the hateful people spew it upon us; as we are now included in everyday advertisements. For example it can be seen commercials, billboards, and family products such diapers for your baby. There are decades of research of queerness and its people. Queer kinship defines it self as people coming together while being in a peaceful enviornment. Other than that, queer kinship was discovered in the early 1990’s. In my opinion, it was the study to see how LGBTQ+ people develop bonds with others outside of the heteronormative family. As it says in the article “Queer kinship first emerged in the early 1990s as a concept in anthropology to describe the ways that LGBTQ+ people develop bonds outside of the heteronormative family.’’ ( Bradway and Freeman, 2022) There is a lot I could say about this article; this is what I will say after reading it. It made me smarter as a person and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

[Hannah]

I honestly didn't find this article too surprising. Our society is evolving daily, and we're constantly redefining the norm. A “family” is typically or ``traditionally” characterized as a married mother and father, and a few kids. The mother takes care of the children, and the father goes to work. The “American dream”. Well now, more and more families are challenging that standard. Two people don't need to be married to have a child or start a family; they certainly don't need to be a man and a woman! Many families only have one parent or guardian. Nearly a quarter of children (18<) in America live in a single parent household. (Census.gov) Your parents don't have to be your blood relatives, or even be romantically involved. This article talked all about this and what they defined as "queer kinship." The article also talks about how America has and constantly tries to break up those "abnormal families'' and that they still do. They mention slavery, the Native American genocide, the recent family separation at the border, and even the current attack on the LGBTQ+ community and their right to adopt children. Because so many Americans don't fit into the conservatives idea of an ideal family, they not only face attacks from society, but they're having their rights violated and infringed upon.