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The mother-daughter relationship is dual, ambivalent, a hall of mirrors; it is at once the site of the womb and maternity, a veritable matrix of meaning. The mother-daughter pairing moves through the body, constantly calling attention to its origins and valorising a transmission au féminin even from within a patriarchal society. However, it can also prove catastrophic. Though the mother is the first person with whom the daughter identifies—her first link to life—the daughter not only reacts to her, but also pushes against her. It would appear that this confrontation is necessary, that it allows the child to detach herself from the mother even as she models herself on her. In order to avoid a destructive union, the daughter must become conscious of the maternal love from which she must take her distance if she is to become someone, and more precisely, a woman. In the novels analysed here, the daughter’s flight—her quest for independence from her mother—points to her need to create herself, to come into her own without destroying the mother-daughter bond. The notion of space is of the utmost importance in the discovery and (re-)establishment of this exclusive filial/maternal relationship. Space becomes the symbol of the mother and the antidote to filial solitude, a site of resistance, one to be conquered and understood, and thus an incentive to write the mother-daughter relationship. The symbolic matricide—depicted in these novels through the absence of the mother during the process of identification and the liberation of the daughter—ensures, a posteriori, the continuation rather than destruction of the filial/maternal relationship, as well as the affirmation of a female lineage. La relation mère-fille est duelle, ambivalente, jeu de miroirs. A la fois lieu de la matrice, lieu de maternage, et de matriçage. Le couple mère-fille en appelle en effet au corps, revenant à l’origine de cette relation qui valorise une transmission au féminin, et ce à l’intérieur-même d’une société patriarcale tendant à assujettir les femmes. Il peut toutefois aussi devenir désastre. La fille réagit face à sa mère, première personne à laquelle elle peut s’identifier, premier lien à la vie. La confrontation est, semble-t-il, nécessaire, elle permet à l’enfant de se détacher de la figure maternelle tout en s’en servant de modèle. Afin d’éviter une union destructrice, la fille doit prendre conscience d’un amour maternel envers lequel il faut qu’elle prenne ses distances de façon à être, à son tour, quelqu’un, et plus précisément une femme. La fuite des filles, ou du moins leur recherche d’indépendance face à leur mère dans les romans analysés indique cette nécessité de se construire soi-même sans pour autant détruire le lien à la mère. L’espace prend alors une place prépondérante dans la découverte et le rétablissement de cette relation maternelle exclusive. Il s’avère être symbole de la mère, antidote contre la solitude filiale, espace à conquérir et à comprendre, lieu de résistance, incitation à écrire cette relation mère-fille. Le meurtre symbolique de la mère, illustré ici par l’absence de celle-ci lors du processus d’identification et de libération de la fille assure a posteriori la persistance de la relation maternelle ainsi que l’affirmation d’une lignée féminine – et non leur anéantissement. / Thesis (Ph.D, French) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-18 17:21:29.738

Sea Stories is a collection of creative nonfiction essays centered around the growth of a young woman through her experiences with water and ships. The pieces trace the origins of the narrator's tie to water from a childhood involving boating with her dad to sailing a brigantine across the Pacific Ocean and then a six-year career as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. The narrator's relationship with her father, predominantly viewed through their shared intimacy with water, is a base theme for the whole collection. Other themes explored in individual essays include reckoning expectations with reality, explorations of the self in and against a group, gender dynamics in military service, and the influence of fiction on life. Sea Stories shows that what we think we know, what we may have only imagined, and on the water, that self-constructed reality can be a dangerous thing.

Adolescent dating violence is a prevalent and disconcerting reality for many adolescents. Communication with others (e.g., parents, older siblings, friends) about dating violence may buffer some negative outcomes associated with experiencing dating violence. Although researchers are attending more to this public health problem, what we know about the messages that adolescents receive about dating violence is limited, especially for Latina teens. To address this gap in the literature, 18 Latina adolescents (14-17 years) and their mothers participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their beliefs about what dating violence means to them, messages that are shared about dating violence with mothers and friends, adolescents’ help seeking preferences and behaviors, and reasons for and against talking with parents about problems in dating relationships. Interviews were transcribed and coded for emergent themes. Participants described many examples of problems in dating relationships including some traditional forms of dating violence (e.g., physical harm) and some advancing forms of dating abuse (e.g., aggression through social media). Messages that Latina adolescents receive from parents and friends include advice to “try to work it out or get out of the relationship” and “talk to someone.” Barriers to seeking help from parents and others included “worry about parent’s response” and “lack of closeness or trust.” Themes of supports to seeking help from parents and others included having a “close and trusting relationship” and having had “an established pattern of communication.” Latina adolescents also suggested they may prefer to seek help for problems in dating situations from friends and older siblings. Results suggest that Latina adolescents and their mothers may be knowledgeable about problems in dating situations. However, the messages that Latina adolescents receive differs by who is giving the message and Latina teens may hesitate talking to their parents about problems in dating if they fear negative parental reactions or they do not sense that parents can effectively facilitate the conversations. Given that many victims of dating violence do not tend to disclose their dating problems or seek help, these results highlight the importance of educating parents on how to promote open and effective communication. Results also highlight the importance of informing peers and siblings on how to respond when their friends/siblings experience dating problems. Finally, results suggest implications for primary prevention programs guided by support for culturally tailored interventions.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen Myers-Bowman / Female adolescent sexual behavior has several potential negative life consequences including: pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection, and HIV/AIDS. Educating parents on how they play a role in the decision-making process regarding the sexual behavior of their adolescent daughters has important implications for Family Life Educators. This thesis explores maternal influence on the risky sexual behavior of female adolescents related to age at first sexual intercourse, contraceptive use, and number of partners. ANOVA was used to explore the relationships between a variety of aspects in the mother-daughter relationship. Findings show there are associations between time spent together, perceptions of closeness, and communication in mother-daughter relationships, and contraceptive use at first and most recent intercourse and total number of partners.

Iris Fitzgerald struggles to make it day to day after she is raped and stabbed while out on an early morning run. Her story is told through her relationships, not only with her new, scared self, but also with her overbearing mother, her best friend, her rescuer and her antagonistic roommate. She has just moved to a strange city and still has not found a job. So, she has the overwhelming stress of the attack to contend with and the added pressure of running quickly out of money in the expensive city of San Francisco. She uses her painkillers as an escape from her stab wound as well as her emotional pain. Claiming Iris is about self-preservation, relationships, addiction and continuing on with life.

This creative thesis of poems explores the relationship between traveling literally and traveling metaphorically as the speaker grapples with the reality of her mother's Alzheimer's disease. In the process, she uncovers her own potentialities and limitations.

Diary of a Gay Bride is a memoir about an artist planning her multi-cultural gay wedding in hopes her dying mother will be able to attend.

Os Transtornos Alimentares (TAs) são considerados quadros psicossomáticos, nos quais são observadas graves alterações no comportamento alimentar. O aumento da prevalência e os prejuízos vivenciados pelos indivíduos portadores de TAs fazem com que essas psicopatologias recebam a crescente atenção do meio científico. Há evidências de que aspectos da dinâmica familiar influenciam o surgimento e o curso do transtorno. As novas formações familiares e a inserção da mulher no mercado de trabalho cobram uma maior participação masculina no cuidado dos filhos. Winnicott defende que, a cada etapa do desenvolvimento emocional, o pai tem um papel importante para o amadurecimento da criança. Os estudos mostram que o pai de mulheres com TAs não conseguem se mostrar presentes no desenvolvimento psicoafetivo das filhas. Considerando a escassez de estudos sobre a figura paterna, o presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar os psicodinamismos envolvidos na relação pai-filha no contexto dos TAs. Trata-se de um estudo clínico-qualitativo, fundamentado teoricamente na psicanálise, especificamente, na teoria winnicottiana. Participaram da pesquisa seis mulheres com diagnóstico de TAs e seus respectivos pais (progenitores do sexo masculino). Com cada participante foi realizada entrevista semiestruturada e aplicação do Procedimento de Desenhos de Família com Estórias (DF-E). As verbalizações foram audiogravadas mediante consentimento dos participantes. O material obtido com o DF-E foi analisado por meio do método de livre inspeção. Os resultados encontrados na entrevista semiestruturada e no DF-E foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática. Os dados analisados indicaram uma relação pai-filha marcada pela pouca permissividade a demonstrações afetivas. Foram encontradas figuras paternas que, enquanto filhos, enfrentaram a ausência do pai ou pais extremamente autoritários, assim como o convívio com figuras maternas pouco disponíveis para trocas afetivas. Cuidados dentro de um ambiente com dificuldades em satisfazer suas necessidades afetivas, os pais, a fim de evitar o acesso às angústias suscitadas pela insatisfação, afastavam-se defensivamente das emoções. Concomitante à presença de pais distantes afetivamente, as filhas buscavam continência e aceitação de seus pais. Elas percebiam a preocupação e o cuidado por parte deles, entretanto, mostravam-se insatisfeitas. Pode-se inferir que, na falta de um ambiente que lhes apoiasse na integração de suas vivências, elas utilizavam o corpo como instrumento de comunicação da fome que sentiam de continência parental. Os achados deste estudo apontam para a relevância do envolvimento paterno na manifestação sintomática das filhas. Dessa forma, a inclusão do pai no tratamento das filhas pode possibilitar melhores possibilidades de integração das vivências emocionais da díade. / Eating Disorders (EDs) are considered psychosomatic conditions, characterized by severe alterations in eating behavior. The increasing prevalence and harms experienced by individuals with EDs make these psychopathologies receive growing attention from the scientific community. There are evidences that aspects of family dynamics influence the onset and course of the disorder. The new family configurations and the inclusion of women in the labor market demand a greater male participation in child care. Winnicott argues that, at each stage of emotional development, the father has an important role in the emotional maturation of the child. Studies show that fathers of women with EDs are not able to have a significant presence during the psycho-affective development of their daughters. In view of the lack of studies on the father figure, the objective in this study was to investigate the psychodynamics involved in the father-daughter relationship in the context of EDs. It is a clinical-qualitative research with a psychoanalytic approach, specifically Winnicott\'s theory. Six women diagnosed with EDs and their fathers participated. A semi-structured interview was held with each participant and the Procedure of Family Drawings with Stories (DF-E) was performed. Verbalizations were audio recorded with the participants\' consent. The material obtained with the DF-E was analyzed by means of the free inspection method. The findings from the semi-structured interviews and DF-E were subject to thematic content analysis. The data indicated a father-daughter relationship marked by low permissiveness of affective manifestations. The results show that the fathers, during childhood, faced absent or authoritarian father figures, as well as mother figures not available for emotional exchanges. Educated within an environment struggling to meet their emotional needs, in order to avoid access to the anguish aroused by affective dissatisfaction, the parents defensively avoided their emotions. Together with the presence of emotionally distant fathers, daughters sought their continence and acceptance. Daugthers perceived the concern and care of their fathers, but showed they were dissatisfied. It can be inferred that, in the absence of an environment that would support the daughters in integrating their experiences, they used the body as a tool to express the lack of parental affection. These study findings highlighted the relevance of paternal involvement in the symptomatic manifestation of their daughters. Thus, the inclusion of fathers in the daughters\' treatment may provide better opportunities to integrate the emotional experiences of both.

Cette recherche doctorale est dans la continuité de nos précédents travaux. Après avoir étudié l’investissement de l’enfant à naître suite à une conception médicalisée, dans un contexte d’infertilité féminine, nous nous sommes intéressées au passage du conjugal au parental, au risque d’une « parentalité médicalement assistée ». Les résultats de ses deux premières recherches ont montré l’impact du diagnostic d’infertilité féminine, et de sa prise en charge, sur la psyché des femmes, sur la conjugalité et sur le devenir parent. Pour cette thèse nous avons souhaité changer notre regard afin de le porter sur les enfants nés de mère infertiles, en questionnant leur construction subjective au regard d’un tel contexte. Nous avons fait le choix de penser, plus particulièrement le devenir des jeunes femmes nées de mères infertiles, à travers la question de la spécificité du lien mère/fille au sein des processus de subjectivation et de la transmission d’un féminin maternel blessé par un diagnostic d’infertilité. L’appropriation subjective de l’histoire conceptionnelle étant alors au centre de cette recherche nous avons élaboré une méthodologie de type qualitative à partir du récit conceptionnel que nous avons souhaité mettre à l’épreuve dans ce contexte. Le peu de travaux concernant les enfants « nés de » nous ont amenés à conduire une recherche exploratoire s’inscrivant au sein du paradigme subjectiviste, dans un cadre d’orientation psychanalytique. Nous questionnons ainsi l’impact de l’histoire conceptionnelle sur les processus de subjectivation, la construction identitaire, et la narrativité des jeunes femmes nées de mère infertile. Si les résultats montrent que nous ne pouvons nier l’impact de l’histoire conceptionnelle sur la construction du sujet, ils ont révélé aussi que nous ne pouvions faire l’économie de penser l’influence du vécu maternel de cette histoire et du discours –ou du silence- qui l’entoure. / This doctoral research is in the continuity of our previous ones. After having studied the investment of the unborn child following a medically assisted procreation, we were interested in the becoming parents in this context. Results have shown how the women psyche, the couple and the becoming parents are impacted by the diagnosis of infertility and then its medical care. The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to focus on the child born of infertile mother, questioning their identity construction. We decided to study, particularly, the young women born of infertile mothers across the specific mother/daughter relationship and the feminine transmission injured by the infertility. The psychical working through of the conceptional story is at the center of this research. The sparsely amount of studies, regarding children born of infertile mother, led us to conduct an explorative research on this specific topic. So we elaborated, in a psychoanalytical framework a qualitative methodology based on the conceptional narrative approach, in order to test it in this context. Thus, we questioned the impact of the conceptional story upon the process of subjectivization, the identity construction, and the narrativity. If the results show that we cannot deny the impact of conceptional story on individual construction, they also reveal that we have to take in consideration the subjective maternal experience of the infertility and its medical care, more to the point the story she tells, or not, about it.