Abstract
In the face of rapid and constant changes in contemporary society, a process of redefinition/non-definition of the paternal role can be observed. In this sense, the objective of this study was to understand how fathers inserted in different family configurations experience the paternal function, linking their experiences to the development of their daughter’s self. A total of eight father-daughter dyads participated in the research, from different family arrangements. Individual semi-structured interviews were performed, mediated by five cards of the Children’s Thematic Apperception Test (CAT-A) applied comprehensively. The methodological strategy was that of the “Psychoanalytic Narratives”. The results showed that the fathers demonstrated especially little clarity about the limits and possibilities of exercising their functions and deficiencies to provide a good enough environment for the girls, especially regarding the offer of “holding”. In this sense, stand out the importance of the positions that child and father occupy in the family rather than the family arrangement to which the dyad belongs.
Keywords:
parenthood; family relations; psychoanalysis; emotional development.