Significados de madres y padres mexicanos del mismo género en torno a la crianza / Meanings of Mexican same-sex parents around parenting

Este estudio muestra los significados expresados por tres parejas del mismo género (cuatro mujeres y dos hombres) sobre la crianza de sus hijas e hijos, quienes tenían entre uno y tres años de edad. Desde un enfoque hermenéutico-interpretativo, analizamos entrevistas narrativas, resultando en las siguientes categorías: Importancia de verbalizar y explicar; Reglas, límites y consecuencias; Enseñanza y aprendizaje de valores y habilidades sociales; Mantener una relación cercana; Rasgos/atributos personales valorados (en las y los niños). Encontramos diversas funciones asumidas en su labor como educadores, que se vincularon de forma dinámica con lo que esperaban y valoraban en cuanto a aprendizaje y desarrollo. Fue importante para ellos/as complacer, dar gusto y satisfacer las necesidades de sus niñas y niños, sin que esto significara descuidar una alimentación saludable, establecer y mantener reglas y rutinas, así como enseñar habilidades acordes a su edad. Un significado compartido giró en torno al lenguaje y comunicación, pues para los adultos era importante explicar: desde rutinas, hasta verbalizar sentimientos, o hacer explícito su tipo de familia (tener dos padres o dos madres); siempre considerando lo que puede comprenderse a esa edad. También fue importante para los adultos que sus hijos e hijas fueran alegres y sintieran su amor, manteniendo una relación cercana: cálida, lúdica y afectuosa. Concluimos que estos padres gais y madres lesbianas significaron a la crianza como una tarea amorosa, ardua, permanente y dirigida a formar sujetos con derechos, con quienes se podía negociar y llegar a acuerdos, aun siendo niños y niñas

This study shows the meanings expressed by three Mexican same-gender couples (four women and two men) about the upbringing of their daughters and sons, who were aged between one and three years. From a hermeneutic-interpretative approach, we analysed narrative interviews, resulting in the following categories: Importance of verbalizing and expressing; Rules, limits and consequences; Teaching and learning values and social skills; Maintain a warm relationship; Personal traits/attributes valued (in children). We found that fathers and mothers played different roles in their work as educators, which were linked dynamically with what they expect and value in terms of learning and development. It was important for them to please, to indulge and to satisfy their children's needs, without this neglecting a healthy diet, establishing and maintaining rules and routines, as well as teaching values and skills according to their age. A shared meaning revolved around language and communication: for adults it was important explaining routines, verbalizing feelings, or making explicit their type of family (having two fathers or two mothers); always considering what can be understood at that age. It was also important for our participants that their sons and daughters felt happy and loved through a close, warm, playful and affectionate relationship. We conclude that these gay parents and lesbian mothers meant the upbringing as a loving, arduous and permanent task, committed to forming subjects with rights, with whom they could negotiate and reach agreements

Can Children Have Ordinary Expectable Caregiving Environments in Unconventional Contexts? Quality of Care Organization in Three Mexican Same-Sex Planned Families.

The aim of this research was to explore the elements that configure the quality of care among three Mexican same-sex planned families: two female-parented families (through donor insemination) and a male-parented one (through adoption). The first family consisted of two mothers and a 3-year-old daughter; the second one had two mothers and a 1.5-year-old set of boy twins and the third family consisted of two fathers and a 2-year-old girl. It was assumed that Ainsworth's notions of quality of care organization are useful in order to understand caregiver-child attachment relationships, regardless of the parents' sexual orientation. A collective case study was selected due to the fact that these families shared their "unconventionality" (i.e., parents were not heterosexual) and the fact that they were planned, but each one constituted a particular case with a unique configuration. Four trained independent observers used the q-sort methodology (Maternal Behavior Q-Sort and Attachment Q-Sort) to describe parents' and children's behavior, respectively. The findings showed that parents were highly sensitive and all children used them as a secure base. To provide an in-depth examination of which elements configure the quality of care, a semi-structured interview with each parent was carried out. Through a thematic analysis, an over-arching theme named Affections and Emotions was identified, together with six subthemes: (1) Creating an affective environment; (2) Being available; (3) Acknowledging and expressing emotions; (4) Perceiving, interpreting and responding adequately to the child's real self; (5) Taking the child's perspective into account; and (6) Agreeing on roles and dividing the tasks. In order to showcase the particular configuration of gay parenting, the male-headed family narrative is reported in detail, because gay parents have been perceived as violating traditional gender roles as well as the hegemonic model of masculinity. The findings were consistent with the notion of quality of care as proposed by Ainsworth and her collaborators. The implications of the methodological device and research regarding same-sex planned families are discussed so as to understand the organization of the caregiving environment.