The Infrastructure and Integration Lab

Presentation held at 2025 UBC Sociology Undergraduate Research Conference

Presenter(s): Rowen Francisco

Queer feminist theory has problematized ideologies that underpin the reproduction of the nuclear family, identifying a relationship hierarchy that underpins normative kinship expectations. Despite existing theory emphasizing how deconstructing this hierarchy is essential to subverting patriarchal kinship ideologies that perpetuate the dominance of the nuclear family, this framework has not been utilized in empirical research. My research draws on this body of literature to explore how queer university students are conceptualizing and practicing friendship in relation to romantic relationships to extend the existing theoretical framework. I performed 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews to collect data on how queer university students in Metro Vancouver between 19 and 25 years old are practicing and conceptualizing friendship, romantic partnership, and family. Findings have revealed that participants are rejecting the ideologies that uphold the relationship hierarchy in a variety of ways. Participants largely allow bounds between relationship spheres to blur and flex – allowing practices and emotions to not be confined to any form of relationship and thus equalizing diverse relationships regardless of their content. Intimate friendships were often fostered as participants identified queer friends as being essential to their identity development and acceptance, leading them to highly value the role their platonic relationships play in their life. Future goals reflect this as participants largely seek to develop an affective network or community that involves fostering intimate friendships throughout the life course.