Analyse du fonctionnement psychique d’enfants grandissant avec un couple de femmes

Abstract

De nombreuses recherches ont été menées ces 35 dernières années auprès des familles homoparentales. Majoritairement de type quantitatif, ces études nous informent peu sur le fonctionnement dynamique et singulier de ces familles. Au travers d’une étude exploratoire et longitudinale, nous analysons le vécu particulier de familles homoparentales (deux femmes) qui ont eu recours à la procréation assistée avec don de sperme anonyme. Nous explorons dans notre recherche les sujets suivants : le rôle des mères auprès de l’enfant, la place du donneur anonyme dans le roman familial, le rapport de l’enfant à ses origines, le développement de l’identité sexuelle de l’enfant, l’intégration de ces familles dans une société hétéronormative. Grâce à nos rencontres régulières avec les enfants et les parents nous pouvons mettre en lumière les spécificités de leur fonctionnement familial. L’originalité de notre recherche se situe dans l’exploration du vécu intrapsychique et intersubjectif de ces enfants. Nous tentons de comprendre comment les enfants dont les parents sont de même sexe se construisent psychiquement. L’utilisation d’outils projectifs thématiques (Patte Noire, CAT, Dessin de famille) nous fournit des informations précieuses quant à leur développement psychosexuel. Ce matériel est à la source d’une double sollicitation, à la fois perceptive et projective, ce qui nous permet de relever des indices sur la manière dont l’enfant perçoit ses relations, se les représente et les symbolise. La description de cas cliniques illustrera nos propos.Many studies of same-sex families have been conducted over the past 35 years. Primarily quantitative in nature, these studies tell us little about the unique dynamic operating in such families. By way of an exploratory longitudinal study, we analyze the distinct experiences of same-sex families (two women) who used assisted reproduction with an anonymous sperm donor. Our study explores the following topics: the mothers’ role with the child, the place of the anonymous donor in the family narrative, the child’s relationship to his or her origins, the development of the child’s sexual identity, and the integration of these families into a heteronormative society. Through regular meetings with both children and parents, we were able to highlight specific aspects of how these families function. The originality of our research is in its exploration of the intrapsychic and intersubjective experiences of these children. We try to understand how children of same-sex parents build their psychic identity. The use of projective tests (Patte Noire [animal metaphor], CAT, family drawing) yielded precious data about their psychosexual development. These tests can be employed both projectively and perceptively and reveal clues about how children perceive, represent, and symbolize their relationships. We use case studies to illustrate our findings

A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies Investigating Motives and Experiences of Recipients of Anonymous Gamete Donation

“…Most studies took a cross-sectional approach, except for seven, which were reported as being part of longitudinal investigations ( Gartrell et al, 1996 ; Jacob et al, 1999 ; Brewaeys et al, 1995 ; Donovan and Wilson, 2008 ; Gartrell et al, 2015 ; Moget and Heenen-Wolff, 2015 ; Vanfraussen et al, 2001 ), and one which conducted multiple interviews over a one-year period to monitor changes in attitude and decision-making ( Graham, 2014 ). Methods of data collection ranged from interviews (in some cases in the context of treatment-related counseling) and (online) surveys/questionnaires to observation, case studies, and fieldwork.…”

“…is an important aspect that future studies must consider, as this area needs more detailed research. Those studies identified by this review as constituting longitudinal projects focused exclusively on lesbian families ( Gartrell et al, 1996 ; Jacob et al, 1999 ; Brewaeys et al, 1995 ; Donovan and Wilson, 2008 ; Gartrell et al, 2015 ; Moget and Heenen-Wolff, 2015 ; Vanfraussen et al, 2001 ). This highlights the dearth of such approaches for other forms of families, such as those of heterosexual couples or single mothers by choice.…”

The conjugal‐parental dynamics of three lesbian couples and the role of the outside donor

“…By using a known donor, she becomes a "birth father" to mirror Gaelle's two children, born to a heterosexual couple. Moget and Heenen-Wolff (2015) discuss this phenomenon of the non-biological mother seen as a father. They state, "Even if at first we had been surprised to hear these children tell us about stories with 'papamom', this finding tells us about the construction that the original scene can take for these children.…”

“…They also strongly affect the first because the place or attitude accorded to the donor may widen the gap between the two mothers on certain issues. If one defines a father as the one who does not carry the child, then one could see the member of a lesbian couple not carrying the child as being in an identical position to the biological father, as Moget and Heenen-Wolff (2015) suggest. Thus, the situation of sperm donor insemination evokes two figures in counterpoint with the biological mother: her spouse and the donor.…”

Becoming a boy in a homoparental situation: a psychoanalytic approach

“…Over the last few years, this focus has led to a substantial number of publications seeking to understand the experience of parenthood among homosexual adults (Ducousso‐Lacaze 2004, 2014; Ducousso‐Lacaze and Grihom 2010; Gratton 2008; Naziri 2010; Naziri and Feld‐Elzon 2012). Within the framework of the DEVHOM programme, such research has concerned both children and family ties in homoparental families and has already led to two publications (Ducousso‐Lacaze and Grihom 2017; Gratton 2017) that partly concur with Moget and Wolff (2015), although they tend to focus more exclusively on the child's perspective.…”