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Life Lived Well PDF

320 Pages·2016·1.32 MB·English
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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 Tis Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact 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. iv 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. v 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 vi 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 vii 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

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