Lullabies and unconscious maternal phantasies: An exploratory and comparative study of traditional and contemporary songs
Corresponding Author
Henrique T. Vicente
Research Centre for the Study of Population, Economy and Society (CEPESE), Porto, Portugal
Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education (ISMT), Coimbra, Portugal
Correspondence
Henrique T. Vicente, Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education, Largo da Cruz de Celas n° 1, Coimbra 3000-132, Portugal.
Email: henrique.t.vicente@gmail.com
Search for more papers by this authorAna Alexandra G. Grasina
Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education (ISMT), Coimbra, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorCristina P. Vieira
Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Bissaya Barreto Maternity Unity (CHUC—MBB), Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese Society of Group Analysis and Group Analytic Psychotherapy, Lisboa, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorCarlos Farate
Research Centre for the Study of Population, Economy and Society (CEPESE), Porto, Portugal
Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education (ISMT), Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese Psychoanalytic Society (SPP), Lisboa, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Henrique T. Vicente
Research Centre for the Study of Population, Economy and Society (CEPESE), Porto, Portugal
Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education (ISMT), Coimbra, Portugal
Correspondence
Henrique T. Vicente, Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education, Largo da Cruz de Celas n° 1, Coimbra 3000-132, Portugal.
Email: henrique.t.vicente@gmail.com
Search for more papers by this authorAna Alexandra G. Grasina
Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education (ISMT), Coimbra, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorCristina P. Vieira
Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Bissaya Barreto Maternity Unity (CHUC—MBB), Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese Society of Group Analysis and Group Analytic Psychotherapy, Lisboa, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorCarlos Farate
Research Centre for the Study of Population, Economy and Society (CEPESE), Porto, Portugal
Miguel Torga Institute of Higher Education (ISMT), Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese Psychoanalytic Society (SPP), Lisboa, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The main purpose of this study was the identification of unconscious maternal phantasies in lullabies used by contemporary mothers and the exploration of differences and similarities with the phantasies unveiled in traditional bedtime songs, collected in ethnographic research, and used in a previous reference study. Participants included a total of 84 women aged between 22 and 47 years (M = 34.22; SD = 4.74) with children of both sexes aged 2–36 months (M = 19.01; SD = 10.79). A total of 70 songs were collected, which were the subject of content analysis and categorization by three independent judges. Data show that 54.8% of the mothers still use lullabies when they put their children to sleep, and that intergenerational transmission of songs is present through maternal lineage. As expected, regularities and differences were identified between the contents of contemporary and traditional lullabies, but regardless of variances in time and culture, both of them seem imbued by the mother's symbolic work through on the imaginary dimension of the child's (and her own's) internal object phantasies.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors certify that they have no financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speaker´s bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or nonfinancial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discuss in this manuscript.
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