The purpose of this study was to contribute to a more complete understanding of the family inheritance experience by exploring the perspectives of beneficiaries. This qualitative study aimed to describe and discuss how individuals' sibling relationships were impacted following the distribution process of an inheritance that was intended to be equally distributed. Eight individuals participated in semi-structured interviews, with areas of inquiry covering perceptions of challenges and benefits of the distribution process, fairness of the outcome of distribution among siblings, and the impact the process has had on their sibling relationships. The data was analyzed using transcendental phenomenology. Findings suggest families experience varying degrees of conflict during inheritance distributions, but not all conflict was devastating to the relationships following the distributions. Specific relational aspects were identified in contributing to the level of satisfaction of the distribution, which subsequently affected their relationships afterward. Additionally, the handling of conflict and efforts to repair relational strains significantly contribute to relational outcomes following the distribution. The majority of participants reported stronger relationships following the inheritance distribution. The findings provide a foundation for further research to explore beneficiary's experiences of receiving an inheritance within multi-child families. / Master of Science

Ce travail porte sur le processus de parentification des enfants au Burundi. Il s’inscrit dans un contexte de dislocations familiales multiformes dues à des situations de crises sociopolitiques cycliques souvent à caractère ethnique et politique. Son objectif est de comprendre comment ce processus se met en place, quels sont ses effets sur les enfants parentifiés, et quel dispositif d’accompagnement faut-il envisager. 14 enfants et adolescents âgés de 7 à 17 ans, 7 parents et 1 éducatrice dans un orphelinat ont été rencontrés, à travers essentiellement l’entretien semi-directif et le modelage pour les enfants âgés de 7 à10 ans. Les résultats de notre recherche révèlent que le processus de parentification se présente chez les enfants burundais sous trois aspects principaux : l’exercice de l’autorité parentale, le maternage et le soutien affectif au parent fragilisé. Les enfants parentifiés assument beaucoup de responsabilités qui dépassent leur niveau de développement physique et psychique. Ces multiples responsabilités les empêchent d’avoir le temps de s’amuser comme les autres enfants, mais aussi les empêchent d’avoir de bons résultats scolaires. La parentification des adolescents dits « chefs de ménages » correspond à une sorte de résilience pour pouvoir survivre. Pour y arriver, ils disposent des ressources notamment les images, les paroles, les souhaits hérités des parents constituent des éléments d’étayage sur lesquels ces adolescents s’appuient pour pouvoir prendre en charge leurs fratries. Nos analyses qualitatives montrent que les enfants parentifiés exercent une parentalité précoce. Ils occupent une place parentale sans y être préparés et n’ont pas pu vivre tout ce qu’un enfant peut vivre. / This work concerns the process of parentification of Burundian children. It occurs in a context of family breakdown due to varied situations following the recurring sociopolitical crises mostly with ethnic and political backgrounds. The thesis aims at understanding how the process takes place, what are its effects on parentified children and which kind of support mechanism could be of some help to them. 14 children and adolescents aged 7 to 17, 7 parents and 1 orphanage educator were met, trough essentially the semi-structured interview and the modeling for children 7- 10 years- old. The results of our research reveal that the parentification process for Burundian children is experienced in three ways: exercising parental authority, carering for other children, and providing affective support for frail parents. Parentified children assume many responsibilities that are beyond their age and their level of physical and psychological development. These multiple responsibilities prevent them from having time to care for themselves as children, but also lead to their school education failure. Parentification for so-called “heads of households” teenagers constitutes a resilience mechanism for survival. To achieve this, they resort to different resources, including images, words and wishes inherited from their late parents which provide them with the strength to raise their siblings. Our qualitative analyzes show that parentified children experience early parenthood. They assume a parental position for which they are not prepared but also they miss their own childhood.