Investigation of a Donor Primary School Student’s Perspective on the Concept of Family: a Narrative Study

The study focused on a family structure consisting of a donor child and his mother, which differs from the traditional family structure, aiming to reveal the donor child’s perspective on the concept of family. In this context, a narrative research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. To explore the child’s life through narratives, interviews were conducted with the donor child, his mother, and his primary school teacher. The study’s data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using narrative thematic analysis. Based on family theories such as “attachment theory, role theory, and network theory,” significant findings were obtained regarding a donor-conceived child’s perception of the concept of family as a combination of a secure attachment relationship and experiences in the social environment. It was generally concluded that the child’s relationships with people in the home, school, and social environments were positive. Additionally, the child demonstrated a positive approach toward concepts such as “family, father, and relatives” when he was with his securely attached mother. However, it was observed that he exhibited negative attitudes toward the absence of a father and other relatives in school and social environments where he was away from his securely attached mother. It is believed that this study will shed light on future research concerning the education and family life of donor-conceived children.