PROBLEMATIQUE DE REINVESTISSEMENT AFFECTIF CHEZ LES VEUVES DE KINSHASA

Abstract

A qualitative study carried out among 85 widows in the city of Kinshasa. It started from the observation that in the city of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, several widows find it difficult to emotionally recommit to a new union. Thus, we organized in total, twelve homogeneous groups whose size varies between 7 and 6 subjects, including six groups of widows who lost their partner three years ago and six other groups of those who lost their partner beyond three years. After having discussions with the group members, we found that the widows contacted were faced with an emotional shock linked to the disappearance of their husband and she described their current life as hell. Most of them always think of the good time spent with their deceased spouses as if to say that the deceased remain present in the minds of the surviving partners through marital memory. Thus, we can affirm that widows are psychologically blocked in the process of emotional reinvestment in other partners.