Missions

This position is part of the ANR-funded research project MumSolo.
The MumSolo project aims to expand current knowledge on the formation of single-parent families through medically assisted reproduction and gamete donation in France. More broadly, it seeks to renew our understanding of contemporary family structures and the relationship between medicine and society. The project responds to a recent legislative shift: since the French bioethics law of August 2, 2021, women in same-sex couples and single women are legally entitled to access assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Previously, such procedures were limited to heterosexual couples of reproductive age.
This legal change has led to a sharp increase in demand addressed to hospital departments specializing in reproductive medicine and biology, as well as a diversification of their patient population. Notably, around half of the new applications come from single women seeking to conceive a child through sperm donation as part of a solo parenthood project.
The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to two components of the MumSolo project, which aim to analyze:
• the trajectories of single-parent families formed via ART as their children grow older, including possible family recompositions and the specific features of these families compared to other single-parent households, from the perspective of family sociology and anthropology;
• how children born into these family configurations perceive their families, and how the combination of single parenthood and gamete donation may influence their conceptions of family and kinship ties.

Activities

As part of this project, you will be required to:
• Participate in the MumSolo research team's activities and contribute to the overall reflection on the five components of the MumSolo program.
• Design and lead one of the five components of the research program.
• Collect field data using qualitative research methods (interviews and observations), based on a previously defined scientific issue and research protocol.
• Ensure the organization and protection of the data collected (specific validation of the research protocol with children by an ethics committee; transcription using AI tools, anonymization, data formatting; production of interview summaries, archiving, and data protection).
• Assist in welcoming and supervising Master's students and the tasks they perform.
• Disseminate the results of the research component through presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals, including international ones.
• Engage in an open science approach.
• Contribute to the scientific life of the Max Weber Center.

Skills

We are looking for a candidate with a PhD in Sociology, with expertise in at least one of the following areas:
• Sociology of the family;
• Sociology of childhood.
Candidates must have proficiency in interview and observation-based research methods, as well as strong writing skills. Previous research experience should have led the candidate to publish scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Work Context

You will work closely with Lara MAHI (coordinator of the MumSolo program) and will regularly collaborate with other team members. You will be part of the Dynamiques sociales et politiques de la vie privée (Social and Political Dynamics of Private Life) team at the Max Weber Center (UMR 5283), based at the MSH (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme) in Lyon, France. The Max Weber Center is a research laboratory in the social sciences, bringing together researchers specialized in social, political, and historical studies with an interdisciplinary approach focused on analyzing contemporary transformations in society.
Fieldwork will be conducted in various cities in France. Travel within France and abroad will also be required for research dissemination purposes.
What We Offer:
• A stimulating work environment with contact with research staff
• 44 days of vacation/RTT per year
• Excellent working conditions (flexible hours, remote work)
• Partial reimbursement of transport costs (75%) + a sustainable mobility allowance of up to €300/year
• An easily accessible site by public transportation

Constraints and risks

No particular risks involved.