The Impact of attending university on the sibling relationship

Abstract

Siblings are a prominent fixture in many family structures, they can be a source of companionship, support and comfort. A sibling relationship implies involvement, this may be warmth and care or conflict and rivalry, these contradictory feelings are perhaps due to the internal emotional conflict that children may experience whilst they develop an understanding of emotions. Research reviewed in this study highlights that the sibling relationship is unique because of the effects it can have on development and the longevity of the relationship. It has also been suggested that during early adulthood sibling relationships become less important. Thus, the outlined project aims to gain a greater understanding of this transitional phase through individuals’ experiences. Using a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews to collect data. A total of five participants took part and Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the interviews. A total of five major themes which emerged from the analysis of all the interviews. These were different social worlds, conflict and rivalry, comfort and support, communication and changes at home. The results found in this study were consistent with previous research, with some of these themes corresponded with previous research which focussed on adulthood perceptions on the sibling relationship. Future research could enhance on findings from the current study as well as any previous studies focusing on the periods of transition into adulthood and its impact on the sibling relationship.