Displaying families. Meaning and value of families of origin in samesex families

Abstract

Scientific transformations and socio-political advances have supposed an alternative to motherhood access that transcend the heterosexual couple. This ruptura with the normative generates doubts and fears between same-sex couples that want to be mothers. Some of these doubts are related to the reaction and answers that they can obtain of their families of origin. The main of this investigation is to analyze the meaning and value that same-sex families give to their families of origin during this process. A qualitative investigation was carried out with nine female same-sex couples and two single women that were mothers through assisted reproduction treatments. The results indicate that families of origin have a central position in their lifes. Some families of origin experienced their daughters motherhood as a process that oscillated between initial rejection towards final aceptation. As a part of this aceptation, some families employed mechanisms to make visible their relationships. According to Finch (2007), these mechanisms are grouped together displaying families category, as a way to reinforce familiar functions.