The book discusses the concept of child vulnerability brought out during a
three years stay as a psychologist in New-Caledonia in both field of
anthropology and psychology. In the clinical work with children and families
at the Loyalty Islands of Mare and Ouvea, therapeutic work and theorisation
try to put together anthropological, psychanalytic, historical and
sociological references in order to understand the family accounts and
representations expressed by them concerning the suffering child. The
obstacles bound to cultural differences are systematically worked out by a
contextualisation taking in account history, colonisation, missionary
influences, health assistance and colonial psychiatry and some
organisational aspects of kanak society. All these points would take in
consideration stakes within Kanak society from the Loyalty Islands so that
the approaches would not be limite by culture or alterity. The therapeutic
work, inquiry and research are mainly attached to the familiy narratives
which emphasize their interpretations toward disturbances, adversity,
misfortune and at the same time open the way to questions about the family
and the clan history. Family narratives and representations are not fixed
and their transformation capacities are a therapeutic factor. The idea of
child vulnerability command attention progressively, his body and his
psychic seem to reflect social conflicts through generations and reactualize
problems without solutions. The making of ancestors, gods, curse and sorcery
assaults are the main vectors of disorder or of social regulation.