M.A. / The mid-life transition is the focus of this research. It is an in-depth qualitative study based on a small sample of women between forty to sixty years of age. The research also examines the significance of the story medium as a means of generating psychological data concerning the experience of the mid-life transition. This data was analysed using grounded theory methodology. The results suggest that there is a merging of the cognitive and affective functions during the mid-life transition causing disequilibrium and the shifting of elements within the psychic structure. The data further suggest that mid-life is a meaning generating process at two levels. There is a clarification of goals, values and life direction. At a deeper level there is a search for an inner purposiveness or soul centredness. Themes centred around questions of identity and relationship. Identity issues surfaced with regard to appearance, roles, future and the death/rebirth motif Relationship issues concerned relationship to marriage, motherhood, work and money. Ultimately, at mid-life, there is an inner search for soul purposiveness.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7278 |
| Date | 10 November 2011 |
| Creators | Cameron-Smith, Celia |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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