Fratria e personalidade: semelhanças e diferenças entre os irmãos
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Data
2000
Autores
Fernandes, Otília Maria Monteiro
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Resumo
Sabe-se como a família é o meio mais vital, física e psicologicamente, para o
desenvolvimento individual. A literatura psicológica tem, exaustivamente,
sublinhado a importância das primeiras relações na construção da personalidade. As
relações pais-filhos têm sido consideradas como preponderantes na arquitectura
desse aspecto especificamente humano. Um pouco menos relevantes mas também
muito menos exploradas têm sido as relações entre os irmãos.
Todavia, o sub-sistema fraternal é, dentro do sistema familiar, um contexto
relacional importante. Porque é um lugar de aprendizagens afectivo-cognitivas
múltiplas que permitem – tal como a relação pais-filhos, embora de modo diverso –
o reconhecimento de si e do outro. E outras competências fundamentais, como o
saber competir, negociar, partilhar, manipular, etc., são, até, primeira e
predominantemente adquiridas no seio do grupo fraternal. Na sua ausência, como é
o caso dos filhos únicos, essas habilidades relacionais só mais tarde, e com menos
intensidade, podem ser experienciadas (por exemplo, com os colegas da escola e
com os primos) – daí que, compreensivelmente, eles possam apresentar alguma
inexperiência nestes aspectos.
Neste trabalho a autora procurou investigar a forma como a presença ou a ausência
de irmãos – embora nunca descurando todo o contexto familiar – influenciam a
personalidade. O lugar específico que cada um ocupa na família determina
experiências diversificadas – daí que, consequentemente, alguns aspectos da
personalidade (pelo menos os que são derivados da posição fraternal) sejam
distintos dos dos irmãos. A autora verificou, na sua investigação, que mais do que a
ordem de nascimento (e.g.: filho único, mais velho, do meio ou mais novo) é a
configuração do grupo fraternal que explica essas vivências diversificadas (isto é,
para além da ordem de nascimento: o sexo, as diferenças de idade e o número de
irmãos), o que lhe possibilitou sublinhar a necessidade de uma visão circular e aberta
à complexidade dos fenómenos relacionais. Procurando registar as regularidades
que as experiências na fratria comportam, a autora pretendeu não descurar as
singularidades que fazem do indivíduo e da família sistemas ricos, complexos e
únicos.
It is known that the family is the vital physical and psychological environment for the development of the individual human being. The literature in the field of Psychology has exhaustively underlined the importance of the first relationships in the building up of personality. The relationships between parents and children have been considered as essential in the development of this specifically human aspect. A little less relevant and also less studied has been the relationship between siblings. However, the fraternal sub-system is, inside the family system, an important relational context because it is a site where multiple affective-cognitive learning takes place. This allows for the recognition of self and the other, just as in the parents-children relationship, although in a different manner. Other types of learning, such as knowing how to compete, how to negotiate, how to share, how to manipulate, etc., are firstly and predominantly acquired within the fraternal group. In their absence, as occurring with an only child, these relational skills only later and less intensively can be experienced (for example, with school mates and cousins) – thus causing, understandably, some inexperience in the learning skills mentioned above. In this work the author tried to research the way in which the presence or absence of siblings can influence personality, despite always considering the entire family context. The specific place each member occupies in the family establishes diversified experiences – thus causing certain aspects of personality (at least the ones that derive from the fraternal position) to be unique in each of the siblings. The author found out in her research that more important than the order of birth – that is, an only child, an elder child, a middle child or a younger child – is the configuration of the fraternal group that explains their diversified experiences. That is, besides the order of birth, one must consider sex, age differences and the number of brothers and sisters. This evidence indicated the need for a circular and open vision in relation to the complexities of the relational phenomena. However, at the same time that the author tried to register the regularities in the experiences in the fraternal group, she also tried not to ignore the differences that allow for the individual person and the family to be rich, complex and unique systems.
It is known that the family is the vital physical and psychological environment for the development of the individual human being. The literature in the field of Psychology has exhaustively underlined the importance of the first relationships in the building up of personality. The relationships between parents and children have been considered as essential in the development of this specifically human aspect. A little less relevant and also less studied has been the relationship between siblings. However, the fraternal sub-system is, inside the family system, an important relational context because it is a site where multiple affective-cognitive learning takes place. This allows for the recognition of self and the other, just as in the parents-children relationship, although in a different manner. Other types of learning, such as knowing how to compete, how to negotiate, how to share, how to manipulate, etc., are firstly and predominantly acquired within the fraternal group. In their absence, as occurring with an only child, these relational skills only later and less intensively can be experienced (for example, with school mates and cousins) – thus causing, understandably, some inexperience in the learning skills mentioned above. In this work the author tried to research the way in which the presence or absence of siblings can influence personality, despite always considering the entire family context. The specific place each member occupies in the family establishes diversified experiences – thus causing certain aspects of personality (at least the ones that derive from the fraternal position) to be unique in each of the siblings. The author found out in her research that more important than the order of birth – that is, an only child, an elder child, a middle child or a younger child – is the configuration of the fraternal group that explains their diversified experiences. That is, besides the order of birth, one must consider sex, age differences and the number of brothers and sisters. This evidence indicated the need for a circular and open vision in relation to the complexities of the relational phenomena. However, at the same time that the author tried to register the regularities in the experiences in the fraternal group, she also tried not to ignore the differences that allow for the individual person and the family to be rich, complex and unique systems.
Descrição
Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia
Palavras-chave
Psicologia do desenvolvimento , Relações familiares