DOCSLIB.ORG

Longitudinal Associations Between Parental Bonding, Parenting Stress, and Executive Functioning in Toddlerhood

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Longitudinal Associations Between Parental Bonding, Parenting Stress, and Executive Functioning in Toddlerhood J Child Fam Stud DOI 10.1007/s10826-017-0679-7 ORIGINAL PAPER Longitudinal Associations Between Parental Bonding, Parenting Stress, and Executive Functioning in Toddlerhood 1 1,2 1 Evi S. A. de Cock ● Jens Henrichs ● Theo A. Klimstra ● 1,3 1,4 1,5 A. Janneke B. M. Maas ● Charlotte M. J. M. Vreeswijk ● Wim H. J. Meeus ● Hedwig J. A. van Bakel6,7 © The Author(s) 2017; This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Early executive functioning is an important pre- over time. In addition, for both parents a negative indirect dictor for future development of children’s cognitive skills effect of bonding on child executive functioning problems and behavioral outcomes. Parenting behavior has proven to was found via experienced parenting stress. These findings be a key environmental determinant of child executive indicate the importance of monitoring parents who experi- functioning. However, the association of parental affect and ence a low level and quality of early parent-child bonding, cognitions directed to the child with child executive func- as this makes them vulnerable to parenting stress, conse- tioning has been understudied. Therefore, in the present quently putting their children at risk for developing study we examine the associations between parental bond- executive functioning problems. ing (i.e., the affective tie from parent to child), parenting stress, and child executive functioning. At 26 weeks of Keywords Maternal bonding ● Paternal bonding ● Prenatal pregnancy, and at 6 months and 24 months postpartum the bonding ● Parenting stress ● Executive functioning quality of the maternal (N = 335) and paternal (N = 261) bond with the infant was assessed. At 24 months, postnatal parenting stress and child executive functioning were measured by means of parent-report questionnaires. Results indicated that for both mothers and fathers feelings of Introduction bonding negatively predicted experienced parenting stress In the 1st years of life, children are largely dependent on their caregivers, who primarily provide a child’s environ- mental context in this period. Particularly neurodevelop- * Evi S. A. de Cock ment is an ongoing and remarkably rapid process during the [email protected] first 2 years of life (e.g., Fox et al. 1994; Knickmeyer et al. 1 Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Social and 2008) making the young child’s developing brain sensitive Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands to environmental influences, such as early caregiving. Pre- 2 Department of Midwifery Science, AVAG and the EMGO+ vious research suggests that early caregiving may sig- Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical nificantly affect child neurodevelopmental outcomes (i.e., Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands child (neuro)cognitive and behavioral outcomes; Bernier 3 FIOM, ’s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands et al. 2010). A suboptimal parental bond (i.e., the affective 4 Apanta, GGZ, Veldhoven, the Netherlands tie from parent to child) not only negatively affects later 5 Adolescent Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the child outcomes but is also detrimental for parents them- Netherlands selves. For example, studies have shown that poorer par- 6 Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rosmalen, the ental bonding is associated with higher levels of parenting Netherlands stress (de Cock et al. 2016; Mason et al. 2011). 7 Tranzo, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg Early executive functioning is a key child cognitive University, Tilburg, the Netherlands outcome and an important precursor for future development J Child Fam Stud of children’s cognitive skills and behavioral outcomes. expressing itself in behavior is facilitated by parents’ goal Executive functioning is an umbrella term for higher-order directed needs or dispositions to act (i.e. knowing, being neurocognitive processes that organize and direct cognition, with, avoiding separation and loss from, protecting, and emotion, and behavior (e.g., Garon et al. 2008; Isquith et al. gratifying needs of the child.). These dispositions can be 2005). These can be assessed as early as in infancy, and considered indicators of parental bonding and are assessable research shows that early individual differences in executive through self-report. Already during pregnancy parental functioning are relatively stable over time (Carlson et al. feelings, cognitions, and behavior towards the fetus begin to 2004). When basic executive functions are sub optimally develop and can be validly and reliably assessed (e.g., developed in toddlerhood and the preschool years, this Condon 1993). This is referred to as the prenatal parental negatively affects the development of more complex bond (or maternal fetal attachment) and this unique feature executive functioning, because the emergence of these of parental bonding makes it distinct from, for example, the higher-order skills is dependent on the achievement of infant-mother attachment relationship which focuses on simpler abilities. In this context, previous studies have attachment behavior of the infant (Walsh 2010). shown that preschool executive functioning skills, such as Previous longitudinal research shows that the prenatal inhibitory control and working memory, are predictive of parental bond is strongly related to the postnatal bond and school achievement (e.g., mathematical and reading abil- the quality of parent-infant interaction (Damato 2004;de ities) in the 1st years of primary school as well as later in Cock et al. 2016; Maas et al. 2016; Müller 1996). Mothers childhood (Blair and Razza 2007; Clark et al. 2010). Poor with higher levels of prenatal bonding display more parental preschool executive functioning has also been linked to involvement, and more sensitivity and stimulation when childhood internalizing and externalizing problem behavior interacting with their child in the 1st year after birth (Sid- (e.g., Roman et al. 2016; Sulik et al. 2015). Early executive diqui and Hägglöf 2000). Besides research on the associa- functioning has a substantial impact on several important tion of bonding with actual parenting behavior, previous indicators of child psychosocial well-being and neurode- research also shows that parental feelings of bonding are velopmental functioning, making it crucial to examine child associated with child outcomes. A lower quality of the executive functioning and its determinants early in life. postnatal bond, for example, has been found to be related to Executive functioning is primarily associated with brain poorer later child social-emotional development and more activation in prefrontal regions, which show prolonged difficult temperament (de Cock et al. 2016; Mason et al. development and rapid growth during the first 2 years of life 2011). (e.g., Anderson et al. 2008; Diamond 2002). In this period, Although parental bonding seems to be an important environmental factors such as parental behavior have a predictor of child outcomes, the association with child major impact on future child behaviors through their impact executive functioning has not yet been investigated. Pre- on the developing brain. Caregiving behavior fosters the vious research on parental predictors of child executive development of children’s self-regulatory or executive functioning has focused on parenting behaviors instead of functioning skills by providing the child with a predictive, parental feelings and cognitions. These studies found that orderly, and stimulating environment (Carlson 2003; more parental scaffolding or autonomy support, more par- Schroeder and Kelley 2010). According to Vygotsky’s ental sensitivity, more parental stimulation, and less par- theory (1978), children learn to structure thinking processes ental control/discipline are to a greater or lesser degree from interpersonal interaction, most likely with their par- related to better child executive functioning (for a review ents, before these become internal and they can manage see Fay‐Stammbach et al. 2014). In these previous studies, individually without help. In addition, through social (i.e., different parenting and caregiving dimensions have been parent-infant) interactions, elementary cognitive processes examined with different effects on child executive func- develop into more sophisticated higher-order cognitive tioning, indicating that parents have a significant impact on processes. Thus, early social relationships and caregiving their children’s cognitive development in multiple ways. behavior are important for children’s development of However, parental bonding, a potentially important cogni- executive functioning skills. tive and affective parental factor with a strong impact on Despite the fact that parental bonding is a key component parental behavior that can already be measured in the pre- of the caregiving relationship, this concept is still under- natal period, has not yet been studied in this context. studied. Parental bonding can be defined as a subjective A poor parental bond not only has detrimental effects on experience of affection of the parent towards the child. The child outcomes, but also the parents themselves are affected. core of the parental bond is a feeling state (“love”) that For some parents developing a bond with their child does eventually exposes itself in parental behavior (e.g., Condon not come naturally or optimally. Disturbances in forming a 1993; Condon and Corkindale 1998). According to Con- parental bond can be stressful
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Epitome of Bad Parents: Construction of Good and Bad Parenting
    The Epitome of Bad Parents: Construction of Good and Bad Parenting, Mothering, and Fathering in Cases of Maternal and Paternal Filicide A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Sociology of the College of Arts and Sciences by Amy Baumann Grau M.A. University of Cincinnati September 2009 Committee Chair: Anna Linders, Ph.D. Abstract. Motherhood, fatherhood, and parenthood are often treated as universal constructs. This is especially true in the construction of good and bad motherhood, fatherhood, and parenthood. However, as previous research such as that by Collins (2009), Glenn (1994), and Risman (1998) all demonstrate, parenting is affected by both race and gender. In this dissertation, I show that the social construction of motherhood, fatherhood, and parenthood are gendered and racialized. Specifically, I focused on media portrayals of the crime of filicide, or the murder of a child by its parents, to show the gendering and racialization of parenthood. I chose media portrayals of filicide as the focal site for this research precisely because it is divergent from “normal” parenting activities. I examined twenty-five cases of filicide that were committed by thirty-three parents. I conducted a qualitative content analysis of 372 stories about these thirty-three parents from stories that I collected from local television news affiliate websites. Cases were limited to those in which it was reported that the parent(s) had been convicted of a charge in relation to the death of their child between June 10, 2010 and June 10, 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • We Are Family: Valuing Associationalism in Disputes Over Children's Surnames Merle H
    NORTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW Volume 75 | Number 5 Article 3 6-1-1997 We Are Family: Valuing Associationalism in Disputes over Children's Surnames Merle H. Weiner Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/nclr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Merle H. Weiner, We Are Family: Valuing Associationalism in Disputes over Children's Surnames, 75 N.C. L. Rev. 1625 (1997). Available at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/nclr/vol75/iss5/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in North Carolina Law Review by an authorized administrator of Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "WE ARE FAMILY"*: VALUING ASSOCIATIONALISM IN DISPUTES OVER CHILDREN'S SURNAMES MERLE H. WEINER** An increasingvolume of litigation has arisen between divorced or separated parents concerning the surnames of their minor children. For example, a newly divorced mother will sometimes petition the court to change her child's surnamefrom the surname of the absent father to the mother's birth surname or her remarried surname. Courts adjudicating such petitions usually apply one of three standards: a presumption favoring the status quo, a "best interest of the child" test, or a custodial parent presumption. In this Article, Professor Merle Weiner argues that all three of these standards are flawed-either in their express requirements or in their application by the courts-because they reflect men's conception of surnames and undervalue associationalistprinciples. After setting forth her feminist methodology, Professor Weiner explores the differences between men's and women's experiences with their own surnames.
    [Show full text]
  • Another Expert Links Suspect with Notes
    JJOTU, lifts V AVERAOB DAILY CMBOVLATION tor the month o f OsoMahor. ISM Fhreeast of D. -R. ' C B. Wilson, locel nursSry men. MIm Owtndolyb PrMeott of load and Manchester Green were ' • ’ fiwi tober’a table had for its center a Is on e buelneee trip to Teses. Strong MrMt apoit tta. we«k-«id thriving industrial communities URlXSCHRlSTlANTrY ST. M ARrS AOXOIARY wpodland scene, with log cabins and OriBUOR DECORATING Ohmdy wHh rW ag with an' sunt In Btoniagton. clustered around mills built on ad­ hontera in fuD regalia; November's 5 ,4 3 2 tonight with probahly light ^P/^DInisiW *Tteiil«" Mr. end Mrs. B. A. LydeU of vantageous water power sites. With table with Its centerpiece of an arti- Meaiher of Iho A a «t Wedneadny generally fair aad M«in street ere plennlng to Join The Wonmn’s Home MlaeioDuy the eatabliahmsnt o f Cheney Broth- OBSERVES BffiTBDAV lE tif ttin g fc r a lb fleial tqriiey, bittfrsweet and other Bareaa ot ObealattoBa K . ttae. Jan. 18 wclety wiU meet at the pmonage era’ silk mills. South' Manchester COURSE T O RESUME what warmer. V. X^' a:a».U!sa. Mr. end Mrs. W elter Lordell et OUTSIDE OF CHUR(3I appropriate decorations spelled Pelm Beech nest week, for e o f the North Methodist church to­ began to develop into the town that Me. .. Tbankaglving, while December’s month's veeetion. The letter heve morrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. Rev. it la to ^ y . Part7 RcM In Parish HaD Fri. table was beautiful with ita minia­ C.
    [Show full text]
  • DECISION-MA KING in the CHILD's BEST INTERESTS Legal and Psychological Views of a Child's Best Interests on Parental Separation
    DECISION-MA KING IN THE CHILD'S BEST INTERESTS Legal and psychological views of a child's best interests on parental separation David Matthew Roy Townend LL. B. Sheffield Thesis submitted to the University of Sheffield for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophY' following work undertaken in the Faculty of Submitted, January 1993' To my family, and in memory of Vaughan Bevan 1952 - 1992 ;J Contents. Preface. vi Abstract. viii. List of Cases. x. List of Statutes. xix. Introduction: The Thesis and Its Context 1. Part One: The Law Relating to Separation and Children. 1.1 The statutory requirements: the welfare principle. 15. 1.2 The application of the welfare principle. 42. Part Two: The Institution of Separation Law: The development of out-of-court negotiation. 130. Part Three: The Practice of Separation Law. 3.1 Methodology. 179. 3.2 The Empirical Findings: a. Biographical: experience and training. 191. b. Your role in child custody and accessdisputes. 232. c. Type of client. 254. d. The best interests of the child. 288. 3.3 Conclusions. 343. Part Four: The Psychology of Separation Law. 4.1 The Empirical Findings Concerning Children and Parental Separation. 357. 4.2 Attachment theory: A Definition for the Child's Best Interests? 380. 4.3 The Resolution of Adult Conflict: A Necessary Conclusion. 390. Appendices: A. 1 Preliminary Meetings. 397. A. 2 The Questionnaire. 424. A. 3 Observations. 440. A. 4 Data-tables. 458. Bibliography. V Preface. This work has only been possible because of other people, and I wish to thank them. My interest in this area.
    [Show full text]
  • Over the Past 30 Years, Researchers Have Learned Much About Father Absence and Father Involvement
    Over the past 30 years, researchers have learned much about father absence and father involvement. Most of this work, however, is based upon the viewpoint of the father himself, the mother, or the researcher/observer. In this study, we examine father presence from the adult child's perspective. We provide a multidimensional definition of father presence and a conceptual framework with which to frame its three domains: Relationship with the Father, Beliefs about the Father, and Intergenerational Family Influences. We then describe the Father Presence Questionnaire (FPQ), a 10-scale instrument that examines the son's or daughter's experience with father. We establish the construct validity of the FPQ using a variety of analytic methods with a sample of adult children (N = 608) located in four regions of the United States. In addition to extremely high reliabilities of the individual scales, we establish the factorial validity of the FPQ by means of a second-order confirmatory factor analysis. We demonstrate the concurrent validity of the FPQ through correlations with existing measures assessing family relationships. The FPQ appears to be a theoretically grounded and reliable measure of the adult child's perception of and experience with father. Keywords: father, father presence, father-child relationships, measurement ********** Researchers have studied fathers and their offspring for over 30 years. Early empirical studies addressed father absence, not father presence. The conceptualization of father presence in these studies was simply understood as the father's coresidence with the child or, more aptly, the opposite of paternal nonresidence. Subsequent efforts to conceptualize and examine fathering focus on father involvement.
    [Show full text]
  • Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization Julia A
    Loma Linda University TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects 12-1-2010 Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization Julia A. Hewett Loma Linda University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Hewett, Julia A., "Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization" (2010). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 3. http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/3 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects by an authorized administrator of TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LaMA LINDA UNIVERSITY School of Science and Technology in conjunction with the Faculty of Graduate Studies Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization by Julie A. Hewett A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in General Psychology December 2010 © 2010 Julie A. Hewett All Rights Reserved Each person whose signature appears below certifies that this thesis in hi s/her opinion is adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree Master of Arts. Chai erson , Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Associate Professor of eier-Randall, Pro essor of Pediatrics and Public Health David Vemleersch, Associate Professor of Psychology 1J1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Kelly Morton who provided me with strong support and guidance throughout the process of creating my thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Family Structure and Eating Behavior Disorders
    Original Manuel Mateos-Agut1 Family structure and eating behavior Isabel García-Alonso2 Jesús J. De la Gándara-Martín1 disorders María I. Vegas-Miguel3 Carlota Sebastián-Vega3 Beatriz Sanz-Cid1 Ana Martínez-Villares1 Esther Martín-Martínez1 1Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario de Burgos 2Universidad de Burgos 3Licenciada en Psicología Introduction. The modern way of life, characterized by Actas Esp Psiquiatr 2014;42(6):267-80 the cult of individualism, discredited authority, and a proli- feration of points of view about reality, has modified family structure. This social structure imbues families and the way La estructura familiar y los trastornos de la that its members become ill, in such a way that eating be- conducta alimentaria havior disorders (EDs) have become a typically postmodern way of becoming ill. Introducción. El estilo de vida moderno que se caracte- Methodology. The aim is to understand the systemic riza por el culto al individualismo, el descrédito de la auto- structure and vulnerability of families by comparing 108 ridad y la existencia de múltiples realidades, ha modificado families with members who have ED to 108 families without la estructura de las familias. Esta estructura social impregna pathology. A questionnaire administered by an interview a las familias y la forma de enfermar de sus miembros, de with trained personnel was used. forma que los TCA se convierten en una forma de enfermar típicamente posmoderna. Results. Families with ED have a different structure from the families in the control group. They have more Metodología. El objetivo es conocer la estructura sisté- psychiatric history and poor coping skills. The family mica y la vulnerabilidad de las familias, comparando 108 fa- hierarchy is not clearly defined and the leadership is diffuse, milias con TCA, con 108 sin patología.
    [Show full text]
  • About Paternal Voices in Adoption Narratives
    CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture ISSN 1481-4374 Purdue University Press ©Purdue University Volume 16 (2014) Issue 1 Article 5 About Paternal Voices in Adoption Narratives Fu-jen Chen National Sun Yat-sen University Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb Part of the American Literature Commons, Comparative Literature Commons, and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons Dedicated to the dissemination of scholarly and professional information, Purdue University Press selects, develops, and distributes quality resources in several key subject areas for which its parent university is famous, including business, technology, health, veterinary medicine, and other selected disciplines in the humanities and sciences. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, the peer-reviewed, full-text, and open-access learned journal in the humanities and social sciences, publishes new scholarship following tenets of the discipline of comparative literature and the field of cultural studies designated as "comparative cultural studies." Publications in the journal are indexed in the Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (Chadwyck-Healey), the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (Thomson Reuters ISI), the Humanities Index (Wilson), Humanities International Complete (EBSCO), the International Bibliography of the Modern Language Association of America, and Scopus (Elsevier). The journal is affiliated with the Purdue University Press monograph series of Books in Comparative Cultural Studies. Contact: <[email protected]> Recommended Citation Chen, Fu-jen. "About Paternal Voices in Adoption Narratives." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 16.1 (2014): <https://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.2282> This text has been double-blind peer reviewed by 2+1 experts in the field.
    [Show full text]
  • A Primer on Child Custody in Louisiana
    A PRIMER ON CHILD CUSTODY IN LOUISIANA Monica Hof Wallace* This Article is the fifth in a series of primers on Louisiana Family Law. The Louisiana Civil Code of 1870, as amended to date, operates as the primary source of law, with other ancillary statutes and codes on particular subject matters. The law of child custody appears in Section 3 of Chapter 2 in Title V on Divorce. Chapter 2 covers Provisional and Incidental Proceedings and the section on child custody is preceded by spousal support and education claims. While the section on child custody only comprises eight articles, the jurisprudence interpreting issues of custody and visitation, and the revised statutes addressing restrictions on custody and visitation, provide a wealth of law in this area. The best interest of the child remains the hallmark of every decision, and courts are given wide discretion due to its fact-intensive nature. I. EARLY HISTORY OF CUSTODY LAW IN LOUISIANA .......... 4 A. THE REVISION OF 1888 AND THE SHIFT TO MATERNAL PREFERENCE ..................................................................... 5 B. THE REVISION OF 1979 AND EQUAL RIGHTS TO PARENTS ............................................................................ 6 C. THE REVISION OF 1981 AND THE INSTITUTION OF JOINT CUSTODY ................................................................. 7 D. THE REVISION OF 1993 ..................................................... 13 II. TYPES OF CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS .................................. 17 A. CUSTODY INCIDENTAL TO DIVORCE .................................. 18 B. CUSTODY INCIDENTAL TO AN ANNULMENT OF MARRIAGE ....................................................................... 18 C. CUSTODY INCIDENTAL TO A PATERNITY ACTION .............. 20 D. CUSTODY WHEN THE PARENTS ARE UNMARRIED ............. 21 E. WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS ................................................. 21 * Dean Marcel Garsaud, Jr. Distinguished Professor; Interim Director, Advocacy Center, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. 1 2 Loyola Law Review [Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Longitudinal Associations Between Parental Bonding, Parenting Stress, and Executive Functioning in Toddlerhood
    Tilburg University Longitudinal associations between parental bonding, parenting stress, and executive functioning in toddlerhood De Cock, E.S.A.; Henrichs, J.; Klimstra, T.A.; Maas, A.J.B.M.; Vreeswijk, C.M.J.M.; Meeus, W.H.J.; Van Bakel, H.J.A. Published in: Journal of Child and Family Studies DOI: 10.1007/s10826-017-0679-7 Publication date: 2017 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): De Cock, E. S. A., Henrichs, J., Klimstra, T. A., Maas, A. J. B. M., Vreeswijk, C. M. J. M., Meeus, W. H. J., & Van Bakel, H. J. A. (2017). Longitudinal associations between parental bonding, parenting stress, and executive functioning in toddlerhood. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26(6), 1723-1733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0679-7 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconfiguring Family: the Politics of Love
    Reconfiguring family: the politics of love Michelle Elmitt Master of Communication (Research) University of Canberra December, 2012 i Abstract This is a study that investigates what happens when people are unexpectedly thrown together to live the life of a family. Based on field research, the study explores the ways adults are performing in loving relationships with non-biological children in contemporary Australia. I have sought to examine how people are making these relationships intelligible when language does not always allow articulation of the intersecting lines of desire, conflict and loss that they bring. This involved analysing ten face-to-face interviews and interpreting the emotional and psycho-social phenomena they revealed through a creative writing process. Key to both the analysis and the creative work has been my engagement with Judith Butler’s work and in particular her book Antigone's Claim: Kinship Between Life and Death (2000). Butler’s writings have helped me discover tensions and ambiguities when relationships form amid a current of opposing discourses, in a society that persists in privileging the nuclear family model. Her concept of performativity provides a means of understanding why each family is doing things differently. These texts have helped me to think through radical possibilities in the cultural intelligibility of kinship. The dissertation package includes three items: an essay providing discursive analysis of the fieldwork (ten interviews with adults parenting children in step, adoptive or blended living arrangements), a novella on these same themes, and ten short stories (each of the latter correlating to one interview and written with a specific eye to that interview’s impact upon this researcher).
    [Show full text]
  • OSCN Found Document:IN the MATTER of the ADOPTION of L.D.B
    OSCN Found Document:IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF L.D.B. Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals Cases IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF L.D.B. 2011 OK CIV APP 12 246 P.3d 456 Case Number: 107838 Decided: 10/01/2010 Mandate Issued: 01/28/2011 DIVISION I THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, DIVISION I Cite as: 2011 OK CIV APP 12, 246 P.3d 456 IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF L.D.B., CHAD GOTTFRIED, Appellant, v. CRISIS PREGNANCY OUTREACH, INC., Appellee. APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY, OKLAHOMA HONORABLE JESSE S. HARRIS, TRIAL JUDGE AFFIRMED Phillip P. Owens, CHRIS HARPER, INC., Edmond, Oklahoma, for Appellant, Michael E. Yeksavich, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Appellee, Kelly M. Greenough, ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDER, TULSA COUNTY, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for L.D.B.1 Wm. C. Hetherington, Jr., Judge: ¶1 Chad Gottfried (Father) appeals an order granting a petition by Crisis Pregnancy Outreach, Inc. (C.P.O.) pursuant to 10 O.S.2001 § 7505-2.12 to terminate his parental rights to L.D.B. and to allow adoption of the child without his consent pursuant to grounds stated in 10 O.S.2001 § 7505-4.2. The trial court's order finding Father failed to provide Jamye Beasley (Mother) with support during her pregnancy, had not proven his defenses, and the child was eligible for adoption without his consent is AFFIRMED. Having so concluded, additional issues relating to the adoption of the child in Arkansas need not be addressed. ¶2 On September 26, 2006, C.P.O.
    [Show full text]