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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

From crisis to awakening: an exploration of midlife experiences from a positive psychology perspective

Niehaus, Louisa 01 1900 (has links)
Text in English / The purpose of this study was to gain a richer understanding of midlife experiences. Midlife is stereotypically viewed as a crisis and is one of the least studied, most illdefined stages in life, yet it’s one of the most significant stages. The epistemological framework for this study is post modernism, which allows for this study to document the transitions from crisis at midlife, as seen through the lens of Positive Psychology. This study was exploratory in nature and applied a qualitative ethnographic methodology. Six participants were interviewed from an ethnographic perspective, in an endeavour to allow each participant accordant ontological breadth and flexibility within their respective social and ideological contexts. The researcher’s own social context also adding nuance to the interpretation of data. This interpretation allows for the inclusion of hope, wisdom, creativity, future mindedness, courage, spirituality, responsibility and perseverance. Thematic analysis of these participants’ narratives supports the psychological research which suggests that challenges are associated with midlife. Thematic analysis revealed challenges associated with midlife such as feelings of disillusionment, regret and dissatisfaction; feelings of loneliness, rejection and isolation as well as confusion about the way forward; seeking a meaningful existence and connection as well as achievement. Some participants, however, are in denial of the existence or their experience of midlife and associated challenges, whereas others describe midlife as a transition phase — a crossroads, a wake-up call and time for reassessment Although midlife can be a difficult transitional period, Positive Psychology can help individuals identify and build the necessary resources and coping strategies to prevent a transition turning into a crisis. It was shown that most participants in this research displayed a mindset and attitude open to a Positive Psychology paradigm to accumulate the necessary resources and coping strategies to prevent a midlife transition from becoming a midlife crisis. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

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