Doing Family: Decentering Heteronormativity in “Marriage” and “Family” Therapy

Abstract

We offer this paper to further the discussion of the concept of heteronormativity, exploring the ways it has shaped our view of health, normalcy, and legitimate relationship. The use of language is attended to as well as what is silenced in the discourses around marriage and family. We deconstruct “the family” as a discrete institution, replacing it with the notion of “doing family.” Queer theory is introduced as a lens through which to expand thinking about living outside the bounds of heterosexuality. Finally, we explore the question of how to shift from a heteronormative paradigm towards one that embraces gender and sexual diversity as the norm.