Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Feminist research has identified the significance of mothers in informing the self-construction of sexual and gender identity among Latina youth. Yet, little is known about the mothers’ views on the sexuality of their daughters. Based upon data obtained through ethnographic research, interviews with Latina youth and their mothers, and content analysis, this paper considers the ways mothers and daughters negotiate gender and sexuality with one another by analyzing how mothers and daughters respond to each other upon mothers’ discovery of the sexual behavior of daughters. The focus on this critical moment and subsequent dialogues between mothers and daughters underscores shifts in gender and sexuality construction and generational and familial dynamics around related issues.