Dissertation / This study examined the experiential world of adolescents in the middle and late phases of adolescent development with homosexual parents. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore homosexual parenting and societal reactions to this phenomenon. Thereafter, Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory of child development was highlighted followed by a synopsis comprising different dimensions of the development of adolescents in the middle and late phases of adolescent development. The empirical investigation was carried out through qualitative research methodology. In-depth case studies selected by purposeful sampling were carried out with three adolescents, each of whom had a homosexual father. Although the qualitative data is not generalisable, the findings of the case studies revealed similarities in the life worlds of the adolescents. The participants were affected by the discovery of their father’s homosexuality, but they chose to accept their father’s sexual orientation and sought a relationship with him. Finally, recommendations for practice were made. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The advent of ARTs has enabled many individuals to have children and build families. Although ARTs have from the start been designated to serve as alternative way for heterosexual infertile individuals and couples to have genetically related children, ARTs are nowadays widely used by gays and lesbians to have even genetically unrelated children and build their families. This study addresses the well-being of children born as a result of ARTs and growing up in homosexual families in South Africa. South Africa has legalised homosexual unions, granting gays and lesbians several rights, including the right to marry, use ARTs to reproduce, and build families in which they raise their children. South Africa has also provided constitutional and statutory protection of children’s rights and has further required that the child’s best interests be considered as paramount in every matter concerning the child. Although ARTs may have allowed people to have children, they have proven to put the child’s interests at risk. ARTs are associated with several physical and psychological problems for resulting children. The legal protection provided for those children seems to be inadequate in respect of their best interests. Unlike Australian statutes that have provided strong protection for the child’s best interests, South African legislations regulating ARTs are far from protecting ART-born children’s interests. The application of the child’s best interests criterion to ART procedures has revealed that in the USA and Australia efforts of the state, ART providers and parents have been centred on the transfer of the custody of the ART-born child to the commissioning parent(s). Although in South Africa the application of the child’s best interests in the context of surrogacy procedures has revealed the protection of the child’s interests, it should be noted that that protection seems to focus on the child’s post-birth period. This situation leaves ART-born children without any protection, especially before their birth. In order to give effect to section 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and protect ART-born children’s interests, I make certain proposals for law reform in the final chapter of this thesis. / Private Law / LL. D

La thèse porte sur l'évolution des normes parentales dans des situations où celles-ci sont discutées, mises en jeu et légitimées, en particulier concernant la pluriparentalité. D'une part, je me suis penchée sur le projet légal de "parenté sociale" qui vise à reconnaître la place et les droits d'un adulte qui s'occupe de l'enfant de son conjoint avec qui il n'a pas de lien biologique. D'autre part, j'ai analysé des situations familiales dites de "coparentalité" où gay(s) et lesbienne(s) s'associent pour avoir un enfant ensemble en l'élevant séparément. <p><p>The PhD thesis deals with the evolution of parental norms in changing situations in which these norms can be discussed and modified, specifically en terms of multiparenthood. On the one hand, I have studied a new form of legal status - “social parenthood” - debated in the Belgian Parliament to recognize non-biological parenthood. On the other hand, I have analyzed gay and lesbian “coparenting”, which can be defined as a parental project involving a lesbian woman/couple and a gay man/couple brought together to have a child and raise he or she separately. In each case, I examined the ways in which individuals live and deal with familial situations that involve same-sex couples and/or more than two parents raising a child. / Doctorat en sciences sociales, Orientation sociologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished