A presente tese agrupa quatro estudos que objetivam investigar as relações dos recursos pessoais com os índices de bem-estar dos indivíduos. Foi realizada uma revisão de literatura sobre a iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal, a fim de compreender em profundidade o construto de iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal. Posteriormente, foram desenvolvidos três estudos empíricos. O primeiro artigo empírico refere-se ao estudo de adaptação e avaliação das propriedades psicométricas da versão brasileira da Escala de Iniciativa ao Crescimento Pessoal – II (Personal Growth Initiative Scale – II, PGI-II). Foi observado que a versão brasileira da PGI-II constitui-se como um instrumento confiável para investigar os índices de disponibilidade para mudança, planejamento, comportamento intencional e uso de recursos, apresentando uma estrutura de quatro fatores de primeira ordem. O segundo artigo empírico avaliou se as relações das dimensões da iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal com os níveis de bem-estar subjetivo eram mediadas pela presença de sentido de vida. Foi observado que a presença de sentido de vida media o impacto das dimensões planejamento e comportamento intencional sobre os níveis de satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos. As dimensões disponibilidade para mudança e uso de recursos não estiveram relacionadas aos índices de presença de sentido de vida. As dimensões disponibilidade para mudança e uso de recursos estiveram negativamente associadas aos níveis de bem-estar subjetivo. O terceiro artigo empírico avaliou se as relações entre otimismo, pessimismo e autoestima com os índices de estresse, satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos eram mediados pelos níveis de presença de sentido de vida. Os resultados demonstraram que as relações entre o otimismo e autoestima com os índices de estresse, afetos positivos e negativos foram parcialmente mediados pelos níveis de presença de sentido de vida. Entretanto, as relações dos índices de pessimismo com estresse, satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos não foram mediados pelos níveis de presença de sentido de vida. Estudos futuros devem avaliar se as relações dos recursos pessoais com bem-estar subjetivo e estresse são replicáveis a outras amostras. A principal contribuição desta tese foi disponibilizar uma escala para investigar a iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal no contexto brasileiro. Além disso, os resultados deste estudo avançam o conhecimento sobre as relações entre os recursos pessoais e as dimensões de bem-estar. / This thesis join up four studies that aims to investigate the relationship of levels of personal resources with well-being of individuals. A literature review on the personal growth initiative was carried out in order to understand in depth the construct of personal growth initiative. Later, three empirical studies were developed. The first empirical paper refers to the study of adaptation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale - II (Personal Growth Initiative Scale - II, PGI-II). It was observed that the Brazilian version of PGI-II was established as a reliable instrument to investigate the levels of readiness for change, planfulness, intentional behavior and using resources, with a four first-order factor structure. The second empirical research evaluated if presence of meaning in life mediated the relationships of the dimensions of personal growth initiative with subjective well-being. It was observed that the presence of meaning in life measured the impact of dimensional planning and intentional behavior on levels of satisfaction with life, positive and negative affect. The dimensions readiness for change and using resources were not related to levels of presence of meaning in life. The dimensions readiness for change and using resources were negatively associated with levels of subjective well-being. The third empirical research has evaluated if presence of meaning in life mediated the relationships of optimism, pessimism and self-esteem with levels of stress, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect. The results showed that the relationship between optimism and self-esteem with levels of stress, positive affect and negative were partially mediated by levels of presence of meaning in life. However, the relations of pessimism with stress, life satisfaction, positive affect and negative were not mediated by levels of presence of meaning in life. Future studies should evaluate if the relations of personal resources with subjective well-being and stress are replicable to other samples. The main contribution of this thesis was to provide a scale to investigate the initiative to personal growth in the Brazilian context. In addition, the results of this study advance the understanding of the relationship between personal resources and well-being.

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om lewenssin soos dit binne die leefwereld van die gesitueerde Suid-Afrikaanse sakepersoon van toepassing is, teoreties te omlyn, te operasionaliseer en die belewenis daarvan op fenomenologiese wyse te beskryf. Lewenssin, met lewenssinvolheid en lewenssinloosheid as twee pole op 'n kontinuum, is ondersoek deur te fokus op lewensorientasie, lokus van gedrag, waardes, spiritualiteit, groei, ontwikkeling, transendering, vervreemding, 'n kortstondige en fatalistiese ingesteldheid, konformisme, kollektivisme, fanatisme, en die strewe na mitiese sukses. In die literatuurondersoek, wat die eksistensiele, humanistiese en holistiese paradigmas as vertrekpunte neem, is operasionele definisies van lewenssinvolheid en lewenssinloosheid gekonstrueer. Die profiel van die Suid-Afrikaanse sakepersoon met so 'n belewenis is aan die hand van sy/haar paradigma, kenmerke en gedrag gekonstrueer. 'n Proses van meaning making word voorgehou, terwyl lewenssin as integrasie van teenoorgesteldes gekonstrueer word. Daar word gepostuleer dat die sakepersoon met 'n belewenis van lewenssinvolheid die landskap van sy/haar psige relasioneel bewoon. Daarteenoor openbaar 'n belewenis van Jewenssinloosheid 'n nie-relasionele orientasie, paradigma en bewoning van die wereld. In die fenomenologiese ondersoek is gebruik gemaak van die onderhoud om die fenomeen, lewenssin, te laat ontvou. Die steekproef het bestaan uit getroude sakelui, dertig jaar en ouer, en woonagtig in Gauteng. Heterogeniteit in terme van geslag, geloofsoortuigings en korporatiewe opset is ook verreken. Uit die ondersoek ontvou ses temas wat sentreer om ruimtelikheid, basiese stemming, beliggaming en bewoning, asook die teenwoordigheid van die psige, andere en die wereld (wat die aarde en 'n transpersoonlike entiteit insluit). Dit blyk dat die Suid-Afrikaanse sakepersoon sy/haar landskap vera! nie-relasioneel bewoon. Elemente van relasionele bestaan is wei aanwesig. Tog word die begeerte aan 'n meer relasionele bestaan in die behoeftes en versugtinge van die betrokke sakelui verwoord. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat gebrekkige relasies in verband gebring kan word met 'n nie-relasionele paradigma wat lewenssinloosheid tot gevolg het. Op 'n kontinuum van lewenssin word bevind dat Suid-Afrikaanse sakelui nader aan die pool van lewenssinloosheid le, met 'n behoefte aan 'n beweging na die teenoorgestelde pool, naamlik lewenssinvolheid. Om lewenssinvolheid, lewenskwaliteit, en optimaliteit te bevorder, word aanbeveel dat die relasionele paradigma as vertrekpunt dien by remedierende ingrepe. / The purpose of this research is to theoretically outline and operationalise meaning in life as it applies to the life-world of situated South African businesspersons, and to describe phenomenologically their experience of that phenomenon. integration of opposites. It is posited that the businessperson experiencing life as meaningful, inhabits the landscape of his/her psyche in a relational way. In contrast, the person experiencing life as meaningless, displays a non-relational orientation, paradigm and being-in-the­ world. The phenomenological investigation made use of interviews to allow the phenomenon, meaning in life, to unfold. The sample consisted of married business persons, thirty years and older, and residing in Gauteng. Heterogeneity (in terms of gender, religious convictions and corporate circumstances) was also taken into account. Meaning, with meaningfulness and meaninglessness as its two extremes on a continuum, was examined, focusing on life orientation, engagement style, values, spirituality, growth, development, transcending, alienation, transitoriness and fatalism, conformism, collectivism, fanaticism, and aspiring to mythical success. In the literature investigation, which was based on existential, humanistic and holistic paradigms, operational definitions of meaningfulness and meaninglessness were construed. The profile of the South African businessperson experiencing the phenomenon, was construed with reference to his/her paradigm, characteristics and conduct. A meaning making process is proffered, while meaning is construed as an Six themes unfold from the investigation, centring around spatiality, basic mood, human bodiliness and being-in-the-world, as well as the presence of the psyche, other people and the world (including the earth and a transpersonal entity). The South African businessperson appears to inhabit his/her landscape in a mainly non­ relational manner. There are some elements of relational existence, but the needs and heart's desires voiced by the businesspersons concerned point to a longing for a more relational existence. In conclusion: Deficient relations can be associated with a non-relational paradigm, which causes an experience of life as meaningless. A meaning continuum shows South African businesspersons as figuring closer to meaninglessness, and needing to move towards the opposite pole, namely meaningfulness. To promote meaningfulness, quality of life and optimal functioning, the relational paradigm is recommended as point of departure in remedial intervention. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / DCom (Bedryfsielkunde)

A presente tese agrupa quatro estudos que objetivam investigar as relações dos recursos pessoais com os índices de bem-estar dos indivíduos. Foi realizada uma revisão de literatura sobre a iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal, a fim de compreender em profundidade o construto de iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal. Posteriormente, foram desenvolvidos três estudos empíricos. O primeiro artigo empírico refere-se ao estudo de adaptação e avaliação das propriedades psicométricas da versão brasileira da Escala de Iniciativa ao Crescimento Pessoal – II (Personal Growth Initiative Scale – II, PGI-II). Foi observado que a versão brasileira da PGI-II constitui-se como um instrumento confiável para investigar os índices de disponibilidade para mudança, planejamento, comportamento intencional e uso de recursos, apresentando uma estrutura de quatro fatores de primeira ordem. O segundo artigo empírico avaliou se as relações das dimensões da iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal com os níveis de bem-estar subjetivo eram mediadas pela presença de sentido de vida. Foi observado que a presença de sentido de vida media o impacto das dimensões planejamento e comportamento intencional sobre os níveis de satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos. As dimensões disponibilidade para mudança e uso de recursos não estiveram relacionadas aos índices de presença de sentido de vida. As dimensões disponibilidade para mudança e uso de recursos estiveram negativamente associadas aos níveis de bem-estar subjetivo. O terceiro artigo empírico avaliou se as relações entre otimismo, pessimismo e autoestima com os índices de estresse, satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos eram mediados pelos níveis de presença de sentido de vida. Os resultados demonstraram que as relações entre o otimismo e autoestima com os índices de estresse, afetos positivos e negativos foram parcialmente mediados pelos níveis de presença de sentido de vida. Entretanto, as relações dos índices de pessimismo com estresse, satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos não foram mediados pelos níveis de presença de sentido de vida. Estudos futuros devem avaliar se as relações dos recursos pessoais com bem-estar subjetivo e estresse são replicáveis a outras amostras. A principal contribuição desta tese foi disponibilizar uma escala para investigar a iniciativa ao crescimento pessoal no contexto brasileiro. Além disso, os resultados deste estudo avançam o conhecimento sobre as relações entre os recursos pessoais e as dimensões de bem-estar. / This thesis join up four studies that aims to investigate the relationship of levels of personal resources with well-being of individuals. A literature review on the personal growth initiative was carried out in order to understand in depth the construct of personal growth initiative. Later, three empirical studies were developed. The first empirical paper refers to the study of adaptation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale - II (Personal Growth Initiative Scale - II, PGI-II). It was observed that the Brazilian version of PGI-II was established as a reliable instrument to investigate the levels of readiness for change, planfulness, intentional behavior and using resources, with a four first-order factor structure. The second empirical research evaluated if presence of meaning in life mediated the relationships of the dimensions of personal growth initiative with subjective well-being. It was observed that the presence of meaning in life measured the impact of dimensional planning and intentional behavior on levels of satisfaction with life, positive and negative affect. The dimensions readiness for change and using resources were not related to levels of presence of meaning in life. The dimensions readiness for change and using resources were negatively associated with levels of subjective well-being. The third empirical research has evaluated if presence of meaning in life mediated the relationships of optimism, pessimism and self-esteem with levels of stress, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect. The results showed that the relationship between optimism and self-esteem with levels of stress, positive affect and negative were partially mediated by levels of presence of meaning in life. However, the relations of pessimism with stress, life satisfaction, positive affect and negative were not mediated by levels of presence of meaning in life. Future studies should evaluate if the relations of personal resources with subjective well-being and stress are replicable to other samples. The main contribution of this thesis was to provide a scale to investigate the initiative to personal growth in the Brazilian context. In addition, the results of this study advance the understanding of the relationship between personal resources and well-being.

Esta tese teve como objetivo compreender impactos e processos de mudança relacionados com o aconselhamento de carreira a estudantes universitários. Desenvolveu-se um modelo de atendimento construtivista narrativo, fundamentado no Paradigma Life-Design, com duração média de dez sessões individuais em periodicidade semanal. O primeiro estudo investigou se a intervenção seria capaz de promover impactos em adaptabilidade de carreira, sentido de vida e nas narrativas autobiográficas dos clientes (em reflexão autobiográfica e em valência afetiva das narrativas), valendo-se de um delineamento quase-experimental. O segundo e o terceiro estudos buscaram compreender a relação entre os impactos do atendimento com os processos de mudança narrativa, avaliados com o Modelo dos Momentos de Inovação nas sessões, em dois estudos de caso com características diferenciadas. Os resultados do primeiro estudo indicaram que a intervenção foi efetiva na promoção de recursos de adaptabilidade de preocupação, controle, curiosidade e confiança, bem como em dimensões de desenvolvimento de carreira com aproximação conceitual à adaptabilidade, como identidade profissional, decisão de carreira, planejamento de carreira e autoeficácia profissional. Ainda, os participantes da intervenção demonstraram aumento significativo na dimensão de presença de sentido de vida e diminuição na saliência afetiva negativa na forma como narravam as suas histórias de vida. Nenhuma mudança significativa foi constatada em relação ao grupo de comparação, formado por estudantes que não participaram de qualquer atendimento no mesmo período. Os estudos de caso possibilitaram compreender os impactos de forma integrada aos processos de mudança, evidenciando que desfechos positivos do aconselhamento de carreira estiveram associados a padrões de momentos de inovação de complexificação crescente ao longo do processo, e pela presença de momentos de inovação de reflexão sobre a mudança e de reconceitualização. Esses dois tipos de inovação se apresentaram de forma diferenciada em cada um dos casos, que também se diferenciaram quanto aos impactos do processo em reflexão autobiográfica. Abordam-se as conexões entre o processo de reflexão autobiográfica e esses tipos de momentos de inovação. Além disso, estabelecem-se relações entre as diferentes características dos clientes quanto às suas demandas e etapas de desenvolvimento psicossocial com os impactos e processos de mudança no atendimento. Por fim, são traçadas implicações para a teoria, a pesquisa e a prática do aconselhamento de carreira. / This dissertation aimed to understand outcomes and change processes associated with a career counseling intervention targeted at university students. A constructivist narrative model of career counseling, based on Life-Design Paradigm, was developed and delivered individually, in approximately 10 sessions, once a week. The first study investigated the outcomes of the intervention in career adaptability, meaning in life and clients’ autobiographical narratives (in autobiographical reasoning and emotional valence), using a quasi-experimental design. The second and the third studies aimed to understand the relation between the outcomes of the intervention and narrative change processes, assessed through the innovative moments model in the sessions. These studies were conducted with two clients with different characteristics. Results from the first study showed that the intervention was effective in promoting career adaptability resources of concern, control, curiosity and confidence, as well as career development dimensions that have conceptual proximity to adaptability, as professional identity, career decision, career planning and professional self-efficacy. Participants also demonstrated a significant increase in the dimension of presence of meaning in life, and a significant decrease in negative emotional salience used to narrate their life stories. No significant change was observed in the comparison group, constituted by students that were not participating in interventions at the same period. The case studies contributed to an integrated understanding of outcomes and processes of change, showing that positive outcomes in career counseling are associated with a pattern of progressive complexification of innovative moments during the process, and with the presence of reflection about change and reconceptualization innovative moments. These types of innovation differed from one case to the other, and different outcomes related to autobiographical reasoning were also observed. Connections between the process of autobiographical reasoning and these types of innovative moments are addressed. In addition, relations between client’s demands and psychosocial developmental characteristics with the outcomes and processes of change during career counseling are delineated. Finally, implications for theory, research and intervention are outlined.

Esta tese teve como objetivo compreender impactos e processos de mudança relacionados com o aconselhamento de carreira a estudantes universitários. Desenvolveu-se um modelo de atendimento construtivista narrativo, fundamentado no Paradigma Life-Design, com duração média de dez sessões individuais em periodicidade semanal. O primeiro estudo investigou se a intervenção seria capaz de promover impactos em adaptabilidade de carreira, sentido de vida e nas narrativas autobiográficas dos clientes (em reflexão autobiográfica e em valência afetiva das narrativas), valendo-se de um delineamento quase-experimental. O segundo e o terceiro estudos buscaram compreender a relação entre os impactos do atendimento com os processos de mudança narrativa, avaliados com o Modelo dos Momentos de Inovação nas sessões, em dois estudos de caso com características diferenciadas. Os resultados do primeiro estudo indicaram que a intervenção foi efetiva na promoção de recursos de adaptabilidade de preocupação, controle, curiosidade e confiança, bem como em dimensões de desenvolvimento de carreira com aproximação conceitual à adaptabilidade, como identidade profissional, decisão de carreira, planejamento de carreira e autoeficácia profissional. Ainda, os participantes da intervenção demonstraram aumento significativo na dimensão de presença de sentido de vida e diminuição na saliência afetiva negativa na forma como narravam as suas histórias de vida. Nenhuma mudança significativa foi constatada em relação ao grupo de comparação, formado por estudantes que não participaram de qualquer atendimento no mesmo período. Os estudos de caso possibilitaram compreender os impactos de forma integrada aos processos de mudança, evidenciando que desfechos positivos do aconselhamento de carreira estiveram associados a padrões de momentos de inovação de complexificação crescente ao longo do processo, e pela presença de momentos de inovação de reflexão sobre a mudança e de reconceitualização. Esses dois tipos de inovação se apresentaram de forma diferenciada em cada um dos casos, que também se diferenciaram quanto aos impactos do processo em reflexão autobiográfica. Abordam-se as conexões entre o processo de reflexão autobiográfica e esses tipos de momentos de inovação. Além disso, estabelecem-se relações entre as diferentes características dos clientes quanto às suas demandas e etapas de desenvolvimento psicossocial com os impactos e processos de mudança no atendimento. Por fim, são traçadas implicações para a teoria, a pesquisa e a prática do aconselhamento de carreira. / This dissertation aimed to understand outcomes and change processes associated with a career counseling intervention targeted at university students. A constructivist narrative model of career counseling, based on Life-Design Paradigm, was developed and delivered individually, in approximately 10 sessions, once a week. The first study investigated the outcomes of the intervention in career adaptability, meaning in life and clients’ autobiographical narratives (in autobiographical reasoning and emotional valence), using a quasi-experimental design. The second and the third studies aimed to understand the relation between the outcomes of the intervention and narrative change processes, assessed through the innovative moments model in the sessions. These studies were conducted with two clients with different characteristics. Results from the first study showed that the intervention was effective in promoting career adaptability resources of concern, control, curiosity and confidence, as well as career development dimensions that have conceptual proximity to adaptability, as professional identity, career decision, career planning and professional self-efficacy. Participants also demonstrated a significant increase in the dimension of presence of meaning in life, and a significant decrease in negative emotional salience used to narrate their life stories. No significant change was observed in the comparison group, constituted by students that were not participating in interventions at the same period. The case studies contributed to an integrated understanding of outcomes and processes of change, showing that positive outcomes in career counseling are associated with a pattern of progressive complexification of innovative moments during the process, and with the presence of reflection about change and reconceptualization innovative moments. These types of innovation differed from one case to the other, and different outcomes related to autobiographical reasoning were also observed. Connections between the process of autobiographical reasoning and these types of innovative moments are addressed. In addition, relations between client’s demands and psychosocial developmental characteristics with the outcomes and processes of change during career counseling are delineated. Finally, implications for theory, research and intervention are outlined.

The main aim of the thesis is to answer the question whether rock climbing, as a sport leisure time activity, can offer values substantial for life. The fundamental chapter, which is focused on rock climbing values, consists of two parts. The first theoretical part presents a few examples of values that are important for rock climbing. The practical part is based on a survey carried out among rock climbers. Both parts come to the conclusion that rock climbing is inspiring for rock-climbers as well as non-climbers. However, it is the courage to take responsibility for life that is essential for it to be fully-fledged, and only for such a person is rock climbing an inspiring activity.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andrea Moreira.pdf: 2324114 bytes, checksum: 55e3879fe511940e1dc8ce5f703d2ac3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-25 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / This descriptive-explanatory present study uses quantitative method and its objective is looking for difference in importance for personal values and meaning of life to the employees in a financial institution, related to their participation in many steps of the institution for social mobilization on behalf of children created by their company. Personal values and meaning of life values are desirable and with always changing situations which change in importance and serve as basic principles on a person life, and the meaning of life values are a guide to existence of social entities in league with the objective that it takes for their existence. Five hundred and twenty-two employees from a private organization in financial business take part of the research, and to those employees two valid questionnaires were given for constructs measure. Four hundred and thirty-seven cases were valid after data interpretation according with the kind of participation in the social mobilization program. By using variation analysis technique was acknowledged that employees who take more responsibility on social mobilization program by visit cities where the projects are performed show average increase in universalism personal values, related to propagation of welfare on society; encourage related to the search for innovations and challenges at the same time when conformance values are less worth, related to maintain status quo. In relation with meaning of life values they show better average than other groups in Spiritual Evolution. / Valores pessoais e valores de sentido de vida são metas desejáveis e transsituacionais, que variam em importância e servem como princípios gerais na vida de uma pessoa, sendo os valores de sentido de vida princípios orientadores da vida de entidades sociais, associados à missão que esta assume para sua existência. Este estudo, de natureza descritivo-exploratória, utilizando o método quantitavivo, teve como objetivo verificar se existem diferenças na importância dos valores pessoais e de sentido de vida dos empregados de uma instituição financeira, em função do tipo de participação que eles assumem nas diferentes etapas do programa de mobilização social instituído pela empresa em que atuam, em favor da defesa dos direitos da criança e do adolescente. Participaram da pesquisa 522 empregados, aos quais foram aplicados dois questionários validados para mensuração dos construtos. Após o tratamento de dados, 437 casos foram considerados válidos e distribuídos em três grupos de acordo com o tipo de participação no programa de mobilização social. Utilizando-se a técnica de análise da variância, foi identificado que os empregados que assumem maior responsabilidade no programa de mobilização social, realizando visitas aos municípios onde os projetos são desenvolvidos, apresentam maiores médias nos valores pessoais de universalismo, relacionados a metas de promoção de bem-estar da sociedade, de estimulação, relacionados a busca de novidades e desafios; ao mesmo tempo em que valorizam menos valores de conformidade, relacionados à manutenção do status quo. Em relação aos valores de sentido de vida, apresentam maiores médias do que os demais grupos em Evolução Espiritual.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-05-13T17:26:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 gustavoclaudianomartins.pdf: 2268990 bytes, checksum: 3af6cbda5f5e456a9df5be3a1e831072 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-06-27T21:17:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 gustavoclaudianomartins.pdf: 2268990 bytes, checksum: 3af6cbda5f5e456a9df5be3a1e831072 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-27T21:17:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gustavoclaudianomartins.pdf: 2268990 bytes, checksum: 3af6cbda5f5e456a9df5be3a1e831072 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-17 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar a experiência religiosa das vítimas da catástrofe natural ocorrida na região serrana do estado do Rio de Janeiro, em 2011. Para tanto, parte-se do convívio do pesquisador com as vítimas desde a época da tragédia e também de entrevistas realizadas com cinco delas, que perderam parentes, amigos e bens materiais. Assim, observamos as percepções sobre o fenômeno natural, mas sobretudo nos deparamos com a religiosidade que emerge no contexto do caos instaurado, das perdas e sofrimentos. Busca-se compreender a religião, como questão de sentido de vida, que conduz os indivíduos por uma outra realidade possível, apesar da fatalidade e da brutalidade da tragédia. A religião se apresenta no desejo e nostalgia por um paraíso eterno que produz esperança e força, e encoraja o ser humano a assumir a responsabilidade pela sua vida e pela dos outros. Desse modo, a pesquisa visa compreender os processos de significação religiosa de vítimas de catástrofes naturais. / This research aims to examine the religious experience of victims of the natural disaster in the Rio de Janeiro State mountainous region, in 2011. It is based on the researcher's contact with the victims since the tragedy time and also on interviews with five of them, who have lost relatives, friends and possessions. Thereby, we observed perceptions about the natural phenomenon, but above all we faced a religiosity that emerges in a context of chaos, loss and suffering. This research tries to understand religion as a matter of meaning of life, which leads individuals to another possible reality, despite the fatality and brutality of the tragedy. Religion appears in the desire and nostalgia for an eternal paradise that produces hope and strength, and encourages the human being to take responsibility for his/her life and for the life of others. Therefore, the research aims to understand the processes of religious significance of victims of natural disasters.

This work is about the way we understand the concept of meaning of life. We particularly dwell upon existential analysis of American psychologist Irvin Yalom. We focus on his work as opposition to pessimism and nihilistic moods in nowadays society. In the other part of this work we have described basic concepts connected with the topic meaning of life and philosophical context with emphasis on Fridrich Nietszche's and Albert Camus's work and psychology of Viktor Frankl. The main goal of this work is to find if there is a way out in Yalom's existential analysis in confrontation with postmodern nihilism and feeling of meaningless of human life. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

(in English): This work deals with the selection of educational opportunities for seniors with an emphasis on clients of social facilities, where there are not always enough erudite workers who would be able and willing to prepare activation programs according to the most internal needs of accommodated seniors. The quality of life of a surviving and often seriously ill senior can be maintained or at least slowed down by means of appropriately selected activities so that he feels that his life has meaning until the last moment. In the theoretical part of the work, attention is paid to the main theoretical framework of senior education - gerontagogy and the resulting forms of senior education. On the one hand, these are activities close to the academic environment - academies of the third age and similar, and on the other hand, there is a wide range of activation techniques, of which the greatest scope is given to reminiscence therapy. Simply put, these two groups of educational activities form a kind of imaginary boundary points in the education of seniors - academies of the third age and similar for independent, self-sufficient, sufficiently motivated and vital seniors, while the second group is more targeted at clients of social facilities who suffer a number of limitations, such as health, they...