Ettan, le petit accordeur des filiations – Ou la nécessité de penser l’altérité en consultation d’adoption internationale

Abstract

This article explores the dynamic of a therapeutic group setting addressed to adopting families. On the basis of a case study, the problematics presented by the adopting family are analyzed in reference to the collective, intersubjective and individual perspectives. From a collective perspective, the problematics question the parental representations of their child's cultural belonging. From an intersubjective perspective, they shed light on the family's dynamic, notably the couple's difficulties. From an individual perspective, the problematics shed light on intrapsychic dynamics of each parent. Finally, the case study highlights the multiple scenes of the child's otherness display that necessitate a multidimensional analysis. Systemic, psychoanalytical and transcultural perspectives are needed to better understand the complex intertwining of the collective, intersubjective and individual dynamics underpinning the suffering in an adopting family.