A tremendous outpouring of psychological research on sexual orientation has occurred in recent years, and interested readers have been hard-pressed to keep up with the pace of scholarship in this field. In particular, the last decade has seen a great increase in research on psychology and sexual orientation.The first authoritative summary of its kind in this area, Handbook of Psychology and Sexual Orientation is the primary resource for the many researchers, including a new generation of investigators, who are continuing to advance understanding in this field. Volume editors Charlotte J. Patterson and Anthony R. D'Augelli, along with other leading experts, contribute an extraordinary review of contemporary psychological research and theory on sexual orientation in their specific fields of work. The book is divided in four parts: Concepts, Theories, and Perspectives; Development over the Life Course; Domains of Experience; and Communities and Contextual Issues. Individual chapters focus on topics such as bisexual and transgender identities, biological foundations of sexual orientation, emergent adulthood in lesbian and gay lives, same-sex romantic relationships, sexual orientation and mental health, family formation and parenthood, sexual orientation and hate crimes, and race and ethnicity among lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities, along with many more relevant areas. This comprehensive volume will be invaluable to undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and scholars, and professionals who work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, and in the fields of developmental, social, clinical, community, and counseling psychology.

Product Description: Written in an accessible but scholarly manner, this is the first British-edited and authored collection on lesbian and gay psychology. (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Psychology's approach to sexual orientation has long had its foundation in essentialism, which undergirds psychological theory and research as well as clinical practice and applications of psychology to public policy issues. It is only recently that psychology as a discipline has begun to entertain social constructivism as an alternative approach. Based on the belief that thoughtful dialogue can engender positive change, Conversations about Psychology and Sexual Orientation explores the implications for psychology of both essentialist and social constructionist understandings of sexual orientation. The book opens with an introduction presenting basic theoretical frameworks, followed by three application sections dealing with clinical practice, research and theory, and public policy. In each, the discussion takes the form of a conversation, as the authors first consider essentialist and constructionist approaches to the topic at hand. These thoughts, in turn, are followed by responses from distinguished scholars chosen for their expertise in a particular area. By providing an array of comments and thoughtful responses to topics surrounding psychology's approaches to sexual orientation, this valuable study sheds new light on the contrasting views held in the field and the ways in which essentialist and constructionist understandings may be applied to specific practices and policies. (view table of contents)