Not just survivors : portraits of three vital older women
Date
1993
Authors
Kovar, Bobby Lynn Moore
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Abstract
The focus of this study is an exploration of the lives of three very old women and how vitality and authenticity are expressed in their every day lives. These women assert an open and creative attitude towards the changes of old age, a trusting and confident connection to their inner selves, intimate and complex relationships with others and an on-going interest in the world at large. They affirm life on every level. The purpose of this study is to expand the limited body of knowledge of older women and to assist those working in the counselling field by presenting a view of aging that encompasses the possibilities of personal growth and the full potential of aging of older women clients.
Past gerontological research focused on the declines and problems of aging. As only a small segment of the aging population was studied, the full range of expectations and possibilities of aging were left out. Not only the diversity of an older person's experience of aging was overlooked but women's unique experience was largely absent from human science research. This lack of gender equity in research as well as the fact that most research was conducted by men resulted in distortions about the experience, potential and condition of women. One important consequence of these distortions was the adoption of limiting assumptions about the lives of older women by society.
The women who participated in this study lead lives that do not conform to the limiting assumptions of older women. These women are not "haunted" by their failing health nor are they "preparing for death." The three participants in this study were chosen because they have a positive, life-affirming attitude towards life and are creative in their relationship to the dilemmas of old age.
A hermeneutic approach was chosen in this study to allow for the depth of expression and the freedom to explore the richness of the women's experience. Hermeneutical analysis is an interpretive process that is a continuous movement between the written transcript (the text) and a deeper understanding of what the text discloses. This approach is reflexive in that the researcher is part of the research. In this study there is a dynamic relationship between the women interviewed, the transcribed text and myself as researcher. Each woman was interviewed twice using an open, conversational tone. Throughout this interview style I sought to
understand the meaning of the central themes of each woman's life.
The interpretive analysis is presented in two parts. The first part is a portrait of each woman. These portraits illuminate the central themes in each woman's life as she presented them. They are a combination of the meaning she brought to her experience and my reflective interpretation of the way she described her life. The second part is a discussion of the underlying themes of vitality and authentic living that are fundamental expressions of these women's lives. The concepts of passion, creative renewal and meaning are discussed. The relevance to counselling practice is presented emphasizing the potential of a full and creative life for older women.
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UN SDG 5: Gender Equality