1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«Based on two ethnographic studies, the goal of this chapter is to compare the parental identity transmission projects of mixed couples (the couple’s conscious decisions about their child’s identity) in two different countries. The differences between Quebec (a secular society of immigration) and Morocco (a Muslim country of emigration) offer an interesting comparison with respect to transmission issues and how mobility and transnational relationships intervene in this process.» (p. 48)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The data [the authors] analyse in this chapter comes from two ethnographic studies (Le Gall & Meintel, 2014; Therrien, 2014). The Quebec research was carried out in Montreal and other regions of the province while the Moroccan research took place in various cities. In-depth interviews were carried out in Quebec, while ethnographic observation, biographical interviews and the anthropology of a shared experience were at the heart of the Moroccan study (Therrien, 2017).» (p. 50) «The Quebec study was composed of 80 couples (60 in Montreal and 20 in the provincial regions), married (slightly more than half) or cohabiting, aged 25–40 years old, and parents of at least one child. […] As for the Moroccan study, 31 couples were formally interviewed (52 people, 31 women and 21 men). […] Twenty-eight couples were married or had been married, three were cohabiting and 26 out of 31 couples had children. This chapter is based specifically on the experience of these parents.» (p. 51)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

According to the authors, «[t]he comparison between Morocco and Quebec allowed [them] to show that national context greatly influences the choices made by the parents, and that the identity transmission process is also strongly impacted by the transnational experience of these mixed families.» (p. 62) «The strategy of mixed couples to connect their child with the two sides of their family by negotiating the choice of first name and last name was facilitated by the Quebec legislation but was not found in families in Morocco where the obligation to choose a Moroccan name was rooted in the social rules of paternal filiation. […] The comparison between Morocco and Quebec also enabled [the authors] to bring out the similarities between parental identity transmission projects. Beyond the enablers and constraints inherent to the different contexts, these projects had a lot of commonalities. Interestingly, parental identity transmission projects were profoundly cosmopolitan, either in the political context of Quebec that promotes interculturality or in Morocco where legislation preserves the country’s Arabo-Islamic character and patriarchal structure.» (p. 63)