Black Adult narratives on their Adolescent Years of sibling Rivalry

Abstract

Sibling relationships are familial and culturally influenced. However, sibling rivalry and how it presents itself has mostly been analysed from a Western perspective but underexplored within the African and South African context. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore black South African adults’ narratives about their experience of sibling rivalry during their adolescent years. The aim was to further understand the phenomenon of sibling rivalry within this group as well as extended literature in this area. Ten participants between the ages of 40 and 65 were drawn using snowball and convenience sampling methods and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were then analysed using narrative thematic analysis. The findings of the study suggest that sibling rivalry is complex in that often it occurs in the context of provocation, sibling exclusion and sibling power dynamics. In addition, the research found that unfair parental expectations, lack of parental guidance and differential parental treatment led to negative feelings among siblings heightening sibling rivalry. During adulthood, sibling rivalry resulted from unrealistic financial expectations placed on others. Interestingly, this study found that even though there were incidents of sibling rivalry, sibling love and warmth were present in these relationships. These findings demonstrate that both love and conflict can exist in sibling relationships. The narratives reveal that sibling rivalry is complex such that external factors like parents, cultural and environmental influences informed the construction of meaning in this group of black South African middle-aged adults.