Absence du père et carence d’autorité chez l’adolescent camerounais: une étude de cas

Abstract

The father's failure is described as his inability to perform his duties. From the major changes in family structures justified by a growing divorce rate, illness, death or simply the change in consideration of the role of the father; Family situations such as single parenthood has emerged in several societies around the world. This is the comparative analysis of two clinical cases in Cameroon in this qualitative research in psychopathology and clinical psychology, which has made it possible to explore the psychic processes involved in the theoretical problem of lack of identification. These can favor the development of so-called abnormal behavior in adolescents and lead to the syndrome of lack of authority in the absence of the father, despite the presence of paternal substitutes. By examining the role of grandparents in the upbringing of these adolescents and this family dynamic, the study deploys a series of tools, including participatory observation, clinical interviews, and the RATHUS measurement scale. It sheds light on the challenges of successful identification during the Oedipus phase, thus highlighting the importance of a father figure, in addition to the mother, in resolving the oedipal conflict. The in-depth analysis of the behavioral data collected reveals the necessity of several psychological processes, including sublimation, to integrate social prohibitions in adolescence, thus promoting the development of assertive behavior that is considered normal. Stable narcissistic foundations and healthy regulation of the mother-child relationship present themselves as essential elements to facilitate the identification of the young boy with the paternal surrogate, who must possess adequate qualities of strength and firmness to support this process. Through Pierce's (1878) semio pragmatic analysis and drawing on psychoanalytic theories like the paternal image, identification, and psychosexual and psychoaffective development, this research offers in-depth perspectives for the resolution of the problem of identification with the paternal surrogate. In sum, this work shows the crucial link between successful identification with a paternal substitute and the development of assertive behavior in adolescents in the absence of the father. It is clear that, even without the direct presence of the father, the adolescent who has a solid paternal substitute is capable of developing healthy behavior, thus avoiding the syndrome of lack of authority associated with a poor integration of social prohibitions, initially established during childhood by the father.