Classic psychoanalysis and male same-sex parents: A reexamination of basic concepts.

Abstract

In response to political, technological, and sociocultural changes, the family unit built around a mother and father who are married to each other has been joined in recent decades by a range of other models, including, among others, male same-sex families. These families challenge the narratives of classic psychoanalysis, which relate explicitly to the traditional model. This article examines the potential for conflict and the possibility of coexistence between male same-sex families and basic psychoanalytic concepts such as Oedipus complex, identification with the same-sex parent, the good-enough mother, and primary maternal preoccupation. It adopts a postmodern perspective and makes use of clinical vignettes. This article also considers the clinical implications that may result from the encounter between male same-sex parents and therapists relying on the orthodox interpretation of classic concepts. These include the influence of a therapist's conscious or subconscious beliefs regarding the desired family model, which are derived from a set of internalized attitudes and fantasies, social and professional socialization, theoretical interpretations of psychoanalytic concepts, and so on. This article calls for further exploration of the applicability of classic psychoanalytic concepts to other types of new families, such as female same-sex parents and single-parent families.

The association between self-perceived parental role and meaning in life among gay and heterosexual fathers.

“…For example, gay fathers may face negative attitudes of heterosexual parents questioning the capability of gay men to raise children without a woman. Questions like this may also concern gay fathers themselves because the majority of gay men were raised in families with a mother and father, and therefore might internalize certain expectations about the roles attributed to each gender (Shenkman, 2015). Thus, gay fathers must negotiate with traditional notions of "mothering" and "fathering" functions without the societal support and guidance that heterosexual men often take for granted.…”

What We Know and What Remains to Be Explored about LGBTQ Parent Families in Israel: A Sociocultural Perspective

“…A special clinic was established in Israel in 2020 that offers guidance and counseling for LGBTQ parents, families, and prospective parents, as well as access to information on relevant legal issues. Research on such resources could shed light on the particular needs of this population from the health and mental health systems and could help in providing more sensitive and tailored services to LGBTQ parent families [ 84 ]. This, in turn, could promote the well-being of these families and enable them to thrive.…”

A relational investigation of Israeli gay fathers’ experiences of surrogacy, early parenthood, and mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This omission is problematic for a number of reasons. First, from a theoretical perspective, recourse to theories of hegemonic masculinity is likely to offer new understandings of gay fathers' experiences of parenthood and psychological distress, though research is needed to understand the ways in which considerations of masculinity shape the gay father experience [41]. Certainly, there is some evidence that heteronormativity (i.e., a hierarchy in society that privileges heterosexual ways of behaviour and frequently a central assumption of hegemonic masculinity) and attendant stigma are key sources of distress for gay fathers [42,43], particularly for those at the intersection of constructions of race and single fatherhood [44].…”