The (ir)relevance of genetics: engendering parallel worlds of procreation and reproduction

Abstract

Informing offspring of the nature of their conception when conceived via donated gametes such as donor sperm, is increasingly considered by professionals and policy makers to be desirable for many reasons. The aim of this research is to explore and understand processes within families that either facilitate or hinder the telling of children about their conception. This exploration includes analysing the complexity of sociocultural processes surrounding parents' attempts to make sense of, and construct meanings of 'family'. We analyse the stories of a group of New Zealand parents, representing 41 families, who have formed their families with the assistance of donor insemination. The analysis takes its point of departure from current sociological and anthropological debates in the field of kinship, or family studies. We argue that parents generate a parallel construct whereby genetic inheritance is seen to be simultaneously irrelevant (to the constitution of the family), and yet at the same time relevant (in highly bounded domains, for example related to medically specified conditions). We analyse the ambiguities of interpreting this construct as one reflecting a separation of procreation from the process of reproduction, and reflect on the implications for information-sharing.