Research into transitions which explore the personal changes of those undergoing them, especially men, are still rare, particularly in regards to a changing sense of self and life world. Research into the movement of men out of hierarchy, the dominant structures of work institutions in the western world, is rarer still. Using hermeneutic and phenomenological frameworks, this study tracks the journeys of six men by in-depth interviews and discussions as they move out of hierarchical structures to recreate their work and, in varying degrees, themselves. As a means of looking beyond events, and for their metaphoric and philosophic perspectives, the Hero and Phoenix myths are used to further explore levels of meaning identified within the transition processes. Drawing on the work of Jung, Bridges, Neville, Campbell, O’Connor and Gareth Hill, the six stages into which I have organised the transitions are compared to the six key phases of the Phoenix myth. A Jungian framework informs the interpretation of the underlying significances demonstrated in the men’s processes of regeneration. The men’s individual responses to their transitions are also identified and described, from subjective and proactive perspectives. Changes in the men’s self perceptions and their changing relationships to authority, brought about by their shifting loci of control, are documented. Analysis of the stages most likely to be suitable for proactive intervention (as conscious or organised responses to the process), are indicated. Primary and secondary preconditions for successful transitions out of hierarchies are postulated. The men’s self-reflections illuminate experiences of uncertainty and clarity, confidence and exploration, compartmentalisation and synthesis. The role of an ‘inner voice’ (an unchanging core identity) and their changing relationship with these aspects of Self, is articulated as critical factors in the men’s ‘successful’ transitions. Integral to this research is the concept that the power of an individual’s experience can inform those who share a similar experience. Therefore applications of the research, and strategies to manage and facilitate transitions out of hierarchical environments, are suggested. This thesis is written in support of my hypothesis that transitions can be mapped; that they are journeys on several levels of personal and practical transformation; and that to proactively engage with transition processes requires not only an understanding of the stages of the process itself, but also an understanding that changes in self-perception and self-relationship will also occur for those undergoing them. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/204255 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Mackenzie, Susan, University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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