No description available.

This study described the play experiences of daughters who were caregivers to their mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS). The experiences of four Canadian-Caucasian women aged 19-26 were captured using phenomenological methods of individual and focus group interviews, field notes, and artefacts. Three themes with supporting sub-themes emerged: (a) being a good daughter, (b) blurred relationship boundaries, and (c) encumbered play. Caregiving for their mothers was part of being a good daughter. Excessive caring duties changed their roles from being daughters to caregivers and contributed to feelings of maturity over peers. Their mother-daughter relationship boundaries were blurred and the participants wished to spend more time as daughters. Play, although sometimes limited, was highly valued and provided an escape from caregiving. Using family systems theory to interpret the findings, it was concluded that support for families living with MS would release children from caregiving duties so rounded childhood play could be experienced.

abstract: Emerging adulthood--a developmental point in the life span (usually between the ages of 18-25) during which children no longer see themselves as adolescents but would not yet consider themselves adults--is marked by identity exploration and discovering new life directions. When emerging adults find themselves serving as caregivers for their parent during a time when they would normally be establishing autonomy and exploring new directions, they may feel conflicted by their desire to both care for their parent and maintain a sense of independence. Thus, using a multiple-method research design that includes both an autoethnography and a qualitative content analysis of young adult caregivers' online posts, this study intends to uncover the dialectical tensions (the interplay of communicative tensions within a relationship) an emerging adult daughter experiences in her relationship with her mother as she serves as her caregiver, experiences her death, and grieves her passing by analyzing the author's personal narrative. To provide a deeper understanding of the dialectical nature of the emerging adult caregiver experience, the study was extended with an examination of other young caregivers' experiences, drawn from online forums, to explore how they encounter tensions within their own relationships with their parents. An analysis of the personal narrative revealed one primary dialectical tension, separation-connection, and three interrelated tensions--predictability-change, openness-closedness, and holding on-letting go--that seemed to influence this primary tension. Results of the qualitative content analysis revealed that other caregivers experienced one primary dialectical tension, sacrifice-reward, and two additional, interrelated tensions: independence-dependence and presence-absence. A comparison of the findings from each methodological approach revealed both similarities and differences in experiences of emerging adult caregivers. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Communication 2010

No description available.