Starting a family given the treatment possibilities offered by reproduction medicine

Authors

  • Birgit Mayer-Lewis

Keywords:

unfulfilled desire for a child, reproduction medicine, family foundation, artificial insemination, sperm donation, secondary analysis, narrative interview, interpretative text analysis

Abstract

Before living with children, people usually live without them. But already during this period of time, the desire for a child can play a significant role in the lives of both women and men. This paper refers to narratives from heterosexual people who wish for a child and are using treatments of reproduction medicine. Through interpretative text analysis of qualitative data, it points out which meaning the desire for a child has in their lives, which strains they have to cope with on their way to founding a family, and which expectations they have about family life and their parental roles.

Author Biography

Birgit Mayer-Lewis

Birgit Mayer-Lewis, Dr. phil., Dipl.-Heilpädagogin (FH), wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin und Projektleitung am Staatsinstitut für Familienforschung an der Universität Bamberg. Arbeitsschwerpunkte: Kinderwunsch, psychosoziale Beratung, Bildung im Lebenslauf

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Published

2012-02-22

How to Cite

Mayer-Lewis, Birgit. 2012. “Starting a Family Given the Treatment Possibilities Offered by Reproduction Medicine”. Journal für Psychologie 24 (1). https://journal-fuer-psychologie.de/article/view/394.

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 1 (2016): Elternschaft als relationale Praxis

Section

Schwerpunkt

License

This license allows private use and unmodified distribution, but prohibits editing and commercial use (further information can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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