Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Shimênia Vieira de  and  PROCHNO, Caio César Souza Camargo. Affective relations among institutionalized children who wait for adoption. Psicol. cienc. prof. [online]. 2010, vol.30, n.1, pp. 62-84. ISSN 1414-9893.

The present research sought to understand the affective relations among institutionalized children who wait for adoption. Four children (two girls and two boys) aged from six to nine years old participated in the study. Their life histories were examined in the documents of the institution and the children were interviewed individually. They were observed at play, in routine activities and in drawing sessions which revealed their feelings and behavioral orientations in terms of their affective attitudes and the significance of these attitudes. It was found that their perceptions with reference to the institution were not as problematic as might be supposed at first. Between the children and their caretakers a certain level of affectivity was observed. Following a qualitative analysis of the data it could be perceived that the children were positively linked to the institution. They did, however, manifest the desire for a home. Other categories of behavior used to identify feelings of affection included their play activities, friendships and the distinctions they made between good and evil. It can be said that the children observed, in spite of having established affective relations within the institution, still remained captivated by their own imaginations, longed for families and hoped for their inclusion in family situations. It was concluded that the themes of the study are related to the possibility of the child to establish relations with others in informal and symbolic manners.

Keywords : Institutionalized children; Affectivity; Affective relations; Institutionalization.

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