Bringing Kinship into Being: Connectedness, Donor Conception and Lesbian Parenthood

Nordqvist, Petra

doi:10.1177/0038038513477936

Cited by 56 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…For a couple, this path to parenthood means that the partners have to decide which of them will get pregnant (first), a choice that gives the mothers different parental roles as birth mother and non-birth mother, which must be negotiated (Abelsohn, Epstein & Ross, 2013;Hayman, Wilkes, Halcomb, & Jackson, 2013;Wojnar & Katzenmeyer, 2014; see also Ryan, 2013). Donated semen could be provided through sperm banks and fertility clinics, where the donor is anonymous to the parents and the child (Chabot & Ames, 2004;Donovan & Wilson, 2008;Frith, Sawyer & Kramer, 2012;Nordqvist, 2012Nordqvist, , 2014Vanfraussen, Ponjaert-Kristoffersen & Brewaeys, 2001). Some clinics offer identify-release donors, i.e.…”

Section: Studies On Lesbian Family Life and Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Malmquist

2015

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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To my children, Emil, Nils, Myran and Tove Färgen på barns ögon kommer från arvet, glittret i barns ögon kommer från miljön.The colour of children's eyes comes from nature, the sparkle in children's eyes comes from nurture. AbstractOptions and possibilities for lesbian parents have changed fundamentally since the turn of the millennium. A legal change in 2003 enabled a same-sex couple to share legal parenthood of the same child. An additional legal change, in 2005, gave lesbian couples access to fertility treatment within public healthcare in Sweden. The present thesis focuses on families where two women share legal parenthood of their children. It aims to provide knowledge about lesbian parenting couples and their children, and to focus on the interplay between family members within lesbian families, and between family members and their surroundings. Furthermore, the thesis aims to visualize and analyse notions of heteronormativity and homonormativity in contemporary Sweden. The thesis draws on interviews with 118 parents in 61 families, and 12 children in 11 families. The participants' stories, descriptions, reflections and discourses have been analysed using discursive psychology and thematic analysis.The thesis includes five empirical papers. Paper I focuses on encounters with healthcare professionals prior to and during pregnancy, at childbirth and during the early stages of parenthood. Paper II deals with the participants' experiences of second-parent adoption processes. Paper III focuses on equality in parenting relations. Paper IV focuses on encounters with fertility clinics within public healthcare. Paper V highlights the children's reflections and shows how the children talk about fathers and donors.

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Section: Studies On Lesbian Family Life and Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Malmquist

2015

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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“…Consequently, these couples have to develop their own view on the importance of genetic ties and social connectedness with regard to parenthood. Previous research showed that lesbian couples handle these challenges by, for instance, creating a narrative about physical resemblances or by focusing on the social bond and its influence on children (Goldberg, Downing, & Sauck, 2008;Golombok, Tasker, & Murray, 1997;Jones, 2005;Nordqvist, 2010Nordqvist, , 2014Vanfraussen, Ponjaert-Kristoffersen, & Brewaeys, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental (in)equality and the genetic link in lesbian families

Raes

Parys

Provoost

et al. 2014

Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology

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Objective: In this qualitative study, we investigate how lesbian couples experience and deal with the difference in genetic relatedness in their family. Background: Previous research showed that lesbian couples handle the difference with regard to genetic relatedness by, for instance, creating a narrative about physical resemblances or by focusing on the social bond and its influence on children. Methods: The findings are based on qualitative in-depth interviews with 10 lesbian couples who had at least one donor-conceived child aged 7-10. Results: The difference with regard to the genetic link brought up complex and context-specific experiences for these parents. Generally, the genetic link was described as irrelevant: equality between both parents was presented as a given. However, some experiences of difference due to the presence of one genetic link were found. In these accounts, the genetic link was described as a valuable extra that created an inequality between them as parents. Conclusion: The findings show that these mothers have a complex attitude towards genetic relatedness

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“…Freeman et al . , Golombok , Melhuus , Nordqvist ). In comparison, as already mentioned, donors have received much less attention.…”

Section: Donating In Context and Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Un/familiar connections: on the relevance of a sociology of personal life for exploring egg and sperm donation

Nordqvist

2019

Sociology Health & Illness

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In recent decades, reproductive medicine has become a widespread global phenomenon. Within the field, donor conception, and the use of donated eggs, sperm or embryos from a third party, plays a key role. Despite the importance of those individuals who donate, there has been scant research exploring their experiences. Seeking to contribute to the growing, albeit still small, body of research on donors, this paper advocates bringing the process of donating into dialogue with a sociology of personal life. It suggests that important new insights about the donor experience can be achieved by utilising such a theoretical perspective. The paper applies a broad framework of a sociology of personal life to demonstrate that the decision to donate reverberates within donors’ everyday lives and relationships, and explores, primarily theoretically, how it is that acts of donation bring such issues into play. To this end, the paper examines in detail three ways in which donating interacts with dimensions that are integral to personal life: “living” genetic connectedness, relationality and the intimate body. Ultimately, the paper suggests that a sociology of personal life shows light on new, unexplored questions for this field that demand greater scholarly attention.

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Bringing Kinship into Being: Connectedness, Donor Conception and Lesbian Parenthood

Cited by 56 publications

References 34 publications

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Parental (in)equality and the genetic link in lesbian families

Un/familiar connections: on the relevance of a sociology of personal life for exploring egg and sperm donation

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