Memories in old age and the narrative of the self as triggered by biographical objects

• Autor(a) principal: NOGUEIRA, Leila Mara Oliveira
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: GRANADO, Laura Carmilo, MARQUES, Bruna Gabriela, SALLES, Rodrigo Jorge
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Pontos de Interrogação (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistas.uneb.br/index.php/pontosdeint/article/view/14387
• topic: Objeto biográfico; Velhice; Memória; Reminiscência; Psicanálise; Biographical object; Old age; Memory; Reminiscence; Psychoanalysis

The goal of this study was to analyze the role of biographical objects in old age, using the psychoanalysis theoretical-methodological framework about memory, old age, and narratives about oneself. Biographical objects are personal effects that have accompanied the elder throughout their trajectory and have an important affective and personal value. These objects function as witnesses to subjective experiences because they were with the individuals as these individuals constructed memories, stories, and individual and collective identities. The relationship between the individual and the biographical object is important for aging, as it allows the elder to reconnect to their history in a moment of life marked by different physical, psychic, and social alterations. This study included six elders, three male and three female, all above 60 years old, who had one or more biographical objects that are part of their history of life. The instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire and a semistructured interview. The data were evaluated using Bardin’s content analysis technique (2016) in the following stages: (1) pre-exploration of materials; (2) selection of thematic units related with to the objective of analyzing the relation between the elders, the biographical objects, and their memories; (3) and the construction of four thematic categories: objects that form memories; objects that mark a specific moment in a memory; objects that integrate memories; and objects that perpetuate stories. The results of the research show that biographic objects have the important role of mediators of time in the recovery and perpetuation of reminiscence. It was found that, by narrating, the elder can integrate the past and the present, as well as the desire to perpetuate stories permeated by knowledge for future generations. This movement allowed for the creation of narratives that strengthened their memories and solidified their identities as they integrated their history. It also stands out that the process of composing memories allows the elder to recognize the trajectory of their own life, which allows them to place themselves as subjects, despite the different signs of the time, such as physical and social changes and the different bonds present in their old age. [Received on: July 29, 2021 - Accepted on: October 30, 2021]