Life Lived Well

320 Pages·2016·1.32 MB·English

by  Whitney Locke Jarnagin

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative
Exchange
Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
8-2009
Life Lived Well: A Narrative Analysis of One
Woman‟s Wellness Across the Life Span
Whitney Locke Jarnagin
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Recommended Citation
Jarnagin, Whitney Locke, "Life Lived Well: A Narrative Analysis of One Woman‟s Wellness Across the Life Span. " PhD diss.,
University of Tennessee, 2009.
htps://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/42
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To the Graduate Council:
I am submiting herewith a dissertation writen by Whitney Locke Jarnagin entitled "Life Lived Well: A
Narrative Analysis of One Woman‟s Wellness Across the Life Span." I have examined the fnal electronic
copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfllment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Counselor Education.
Marianne Woodside, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Priscilla Blanton, Gary Skolits, Shawn Spurgeon
Accepted for the Council:
Dixie L. Tompson
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on fle with ofcial student records.)
To the Graduate Council:

I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Whitney Locke Jarnagin entitled “Life
Lived Well: A Narrative Analysis of One Woman‟s Wellness Across the Life Span”. I
have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and
recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Counselor Education.

Marianne Woodside

We have read this dissertation
and recommend its acceptance:

Priscilla Blanton

Gary Skolits

Shawn Spurgeon

Accepted for the Council:

Carolyn R. Hodges, Vice Provost and
Dean of the Graduate School
Life Lived Well: A Narrative Analysis of One Woman’s
Wellness Across the Life Span

A Dissertation Presented for
the Doctorate of Philosophy
Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Whitney Locke Jarnagin
August 2009
ii

Copyright © 2009 by Whitney Jarnagin
All rights reserved.
iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To the Counselor Education faculty: Each of you has contributed to my life in a special way.
Thank you for your knowledge, your passion, your care, and your commitment.

To my committee members: You truly have the volunteer spirit! Thank you for your time, your
attention to detail, and the valuable feedback you provided.

To my Lord: You had a plan for me before time began. Thank you for leading me to this place,
for the talent and ability you gave that allowed me to complete this work, and for being my
source of joy, peace, and strength through this journey called life.

To my parents: You loved, nurtured, and supported me every step of the way. Thank you for the
contributions you made and continue to make that enhance my own well-being.

To my grandmother: Without you, this story could not be told. Thank you for sharing your life
and your love.

To my husband: Our story continues. I can‟t wait to write the next chapters with you.
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ABSTRACT

The Indivisible Self (Myers & Sweeney, 2004; Myers & Sweeney, 2005a) model of
wellness was proposed in the counseling literature to serve as a framework for enhancing
wellness across the life span. Numerous researchers conducted a variety of investigations related
to this model; however, gaps in the literature still exist. The aim of the current study was to add
to the body of existing literature by investigating one woman‟s wellness across the life span
utilizing qualitative methods. The senior adult participant provided a narrative of her life in the
form of an oral history. This narrative was then analyzed through the lens of the Indivisible Self
model of wellness. The result of this analysis was a descriptive picture of wellness for this
woman over the course of her life as it relates to the five Second Order factors of the Indivisible
Self model. These five Second Order factors are the Creative Self, Coping Self, Social Self,
Essential Self, and Physical Self. In addition to this descriptive picture of wellness, several
themes were identified that were central to the participant‟s stories. These themes were Activity,
Pleasure, Faith, Relationships, and Helping. The relationship between these themes and
concepts from the Indivisible Self model are discussed. Implications of the findings and
directions for future research are provided.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………....1

Chapter Introduction…………………………………………………………………....1

Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………….....7

Purpose of the Study……………………………………………………………..........11

Research Questions…………………………………………………………………....12

Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………....12

Delimitations……………………………………………………………………..........14

Limitations………………………………………………………………………….....15

Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………...16

Organization of the Study………………………………………………………..........16

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE…………………………………………...18

Chapter Introduction……………………………………………………………..........18

Life Span Development………………………………………………………….........18

Definition……………………………………………………………………...18

Theories of Human Development………………………………………..........19

Critique of Developmental Theories……………………………………..........23

Wellness……………………………………………………………………………….30

Background………………………………………………………………........31

Definitions……………………………………………………………………..31

Models…………………………………………………………………….......34

Wheel of Wellness…………………………………………………………….36
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The Indivisible Self…………………………………………………………….39

Conceptual and Empirical Literature on Wellness…………………………………….44

Conceptual Literature…………………………………………………….........44

Empirical Literature…………………………………………………………....47

Point of Life Span Development………………………………………48

Gender………………………………………………………………....74

Methodology…………………………………………………………..88

Chapter Summary……………………………………………………………………...93

A Gap in the Literature……………………………………………………………......97

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY….…………………………………………………….......98

Chapter Introduction…………………………………………………………………..98

Rationale for Methodology……………………………………………………………98

Research Questions……………………………………………………………………99

Description of Oral History Design………………………………………………….100

Organization and Synthesis of Oral History Materials………………………………102

Select a Problem to Explore………………………………………………….102

Select Subjects and the Form the Life History Will Take…………………....103

Record Events and Experiences Pertaining to the Problem………………….104

Obtain Subjects‟ Interpretations of These Events……………………………113

Analyze the Reports………………………………………………………….113

Resolve Validity………………………………………………………….......117

Generate Hypotheses…………………………………………………………119
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Organize and Submit Initial Drafts of Life Histories to Subjects for
Their Reactions……………………………………........................................121

Rework the Report in Order to Present Hypotheses and
Propositions as well as Make Conclusions about the
Relevance of Subsequent Research………………………………………….121
Limitations and Strengths of Oral History Design………………………………......122
Limitations…………………………………………………………………...122
Strengths……………………………………………………………………..123
Role of the Researcher……………………………………………………………….125
Chapter Summary…………………………………………………………………….129
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS……………………………………………………………….......130
Chapter Introduction…………………………………………………………………130
Meet Florence………………………………………………………………………...131
Childhood…………………………………………………………………….131
Adolescence………………………………………………………………….143
Young Adulthood…………………………………………………………….151
Adulthood…………………………………………………………………….161
Middle Age………………………………………………………………......174
Senior Adulthood………………………………………………………..…...176
Narrative Analyzed through the Lens of
The Indivisible Self Model of Wellness……………………………………………...184
Creative Self………………………………………………………………….185
Coping Self…………………………………………………………………...195
Social Self…………………………………………………………………….188