Composições caleidoscópicas: Uma investigação dos vínculos em famílias reconstituídas

Abstract

In the scientific literature on contemporary family configurations, we observe a predominance of studies reflecting a conservative family imaginary, often aimed at identifying issues within family compositions that diverge from normative models. In this regard, research on stepfamilies—formed through a subsequent union after divorce—typically focuses on the challenges arising from experiences of loss and instability. Interested in expanding these perspectives, we sought to investigate the bonds within stepfamilies from the perspectives of mothers and children, focusing on the particularities of these family structures. To this end, we conducted three group interviews with stepfamilies using the Thematic Story-Drawing Procedure, a dialogic-mediating approach in which participants create a drawing and a narrative related to the research theme. After each meeting, we crafted a Transferential Narrative to represent the lived experience. Based on the unconscious content expressed, we analyzed the bonds within each family subsystem (conjugal, parent-child, and sibling) in connection with specialized family literature and Linkage Psychoanalysis. Regarding the Conjugal Bond, we identified discomfort related to the dissolution of one marital relationship followed by another. Concerning the Parent -Child Bond, we observed expressions of loyalty conflicts in the child who, alongside the mother-woman, experienced a prior family history. The Sibling Bond emerged as the most preserved, with the child from the motherwoman’s current union feeling fully affiliated with their elder half-sibling. We also noted resilient and integrative elements within these families, despite the challenges encountered. Thus, we underscore the need for further research that examines these families as a whole and highlights the importance of clinical interventions aimed at strengthening these family bonds.