The purpose of this qualitative research study was to
describe female adult children's experiences when they return
to the parental home to live, and to develop theory to explain
the processes and consequences involved in the return to the
parental home. Primary data sources included 1 1/2 hour
audiotaped, semi-structured interviews with 15 female adult
children who had returned to the parental home to live. Other
sources of data included individual and conjoint interviews
with parents and daughters from a subset of four families, and
field notes about the interviews.
Grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1990,
1998) was used. Transcribed interviews were systematically
analyzed to develop a theoretical model, in which the core
social and psychological process was labelled "regrouping." In
response to life events and personal choices, women return to
the parental home to regroup--to recuperate, reenergize,
contemplate and pursue lifeplans. Their intention is to
enhance personal well-being and to secure a better quality
life in the future. Regrouping is embedded in the life context
of female adult children's specific life-events and choices,
living environments, family and social relationships, and
sociocultural scripts -- all conditions that can hinder or
facilitate the process. Regrouping is a cyclical rather than a
linear process. Female adult children who had returned to the
parental home did not experience a simple, uncomplicated
linear forward movement towards attaining valued personal
goals. Rather, they experienced an oscillating pattern of
“faltering” and "advancing" in their efforts to realize valued
goals. This experience has implications for the development of
a fluctuating sense of self or self-image, the fulfilment of
personal goals, the quality of the experience as positive or
negative, and for family relations.
The contribution of the theoretical model to the
literature is the discovery that returning home in adulthood
may be a strategy for managing change and transition in one's
life and for attaining certain lifespan development tasks
(e.g., individuating from parents, establishing a career, and
attaining financial security). Implications for counselling
practice, and the self-help needs of adults who have returned
home to live are noted. Suggestions for facilitating returning
adult children's personal development (i.e., clarifying
personal goals, weighing the pros and cons of returning and
remaining at the parental home, maintaining self-esteem,
seeking social support) and facilitating family relations .
(i.e, having realistic expectations of parents, being
sensitive to mothers, negotiating privacy and boundaries,
managing cross-cultural dynamics) are discussed. It is
suggested that future research extend the application of the
theory to men, as well as more diverse ethnic groups.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10841 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Paseluikho, Michele A. |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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