Explore the broad range of healthy lesbian attitudes and behaviors in love, friendship, self-image, and society!This pioneering book makes a revolutionary assumption: that lesbian and bisexual women are normal, if not average. Instead of focusing on which family or genetic quirks might produce lesbians, these studies turn attention to describing the healthy ways lesbians interact with each other, with heterosexual women, and with society. The result is a significant exploration of uncharted territory.Lesbian Love and Relationships examines the lives of lesbian and bisexual women from adolescence to old age, addressing issues of class and race as well as sexual orientation. It encompasses theory, empirical research, and memoir on such diverse topics as physical appearance, cross-generational friendships, butch-femme issues, and lesbian sexuality. It also looks at such difficult and painful issues as lesbian domestic violence and the impact of homophobia on lesbian couples.Lesbian Love and Relationships asks personal, political, and psychological questions, including: how do young lesbians find each other? what makes successful lesbian relationships last? how does social class affect African-American lesbian relationships? what was it like growing up lesbian in the South during World War II? does "lesbian bed death" exist? This compendium offers exciting original research in a neglected field. Lesbian Love and Relationships is an essential resource for anyone interested in women's lives and sexuality as well as scholars in the field.

"Women's CareerS" explores contexts and strategies that advance or hinder women's career development. It brings readers up-to-date on the intersection of the cross-disciplinary fields of career development, women's studies, and human resources. The applied focus and broad range of topics covered will appeal to scholars and professionals in these fields. "Women's CareerS" examines four key topic areas. Part I presents an introduction to current issues and research. Part II discusses planning and preparation and includes insights into topics such as mentors' roles, cultural differences, women and leadership, and career versus family conflicts. Part III investigates challenges in the work environment for women entrepreneurs and supervisors, and discusses affirmative action and sexual harassment. Each chapter opens with a preview that places the material in the author's personal experience.

Born into a gendered world, gender affects virtually all of our close relationships. How we interact with one another during each stage of a relationship is influenced by the volatile and sometimes divisive role that gender plays in our lives. Gender and Close Relationships is an exploration into the current world of gendered interaction and the ways in which gender influences how others perceive and treat us. This timely and comprehensive discussion demonstrates, clearly, how societies construct and create gendered relationships, but also suggests how "non-traditional" close relationships may strengthen, or make irrelevant, gender-linked behavior. While framed within a solid scholarship, the authorsÆ presentation style is accessible, engaging, and practical. This book is ideal for students as well as academics, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of psychology, gender studies, interpersonal communication, and family studies. Gender and Close Relationships will also provide the interested lay reader with a deeper understanding of how being gender-identified may influence the quality, quantity, and content of our relationships.