TY - JOUR
T1 - "Who's Been Putting Socks in My Drawer?" Narrative Case Study of an Elder Role Model
AU - Kivnick, Helen Q.
AU - Driessen, Molly C.
AU - Santavasy, Chittaphone
AU - Wardwell, Clair
AU - Duncan Davis, Linda
AU - Bowers, Barbara J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/7/15
Y1 - 2020/7/15
N2 - Background and Objectives: This article presents a narrative-based case study about vital involvement in an elder role model, exploring the dimensions of this man's current vital involvement and identifying its lifelong expressions that appear, in older adulthood, to have enabled him to become such an exemplar. This case was chosen from a larger study of "Elder Roles Models", that explores: (i) What about these particular older adults (identified by colleagues, friends, program directors, and service providers) constitutes their "elder role model-hood"; and (ii) How, developmentally, they got to be this way in older adulthood. This case study addresses the first of these questions by identifying five dimensions of vital involvement. Research Design and Methods: Case study data were collected through five, semi-structured life-history interviews conducted over the 3 months. Interviews (90-120 minutes, each) were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings: Five dimensions emerged as constituting this man's vital involvement in older adulthood: (i) enacting personal values and strengths; (ii) person-environment reciprocity; (iii) using environmental supports; (iv) enriching the environment; and (v) experience-based perspective. Discussion and Implications: Dimensions are contextualized in terms of gerontological and life-cycle research, theory, and practice. A fundamental principle of Erikson's theory of lifelong psychosocial development, the vital involvement dynamic, is suggested as an "umbrella concept"for integrating disparate gerontological practices, theories, and research, and for conceptualizing older adulthood in the context of the life cycle as a whole.
AB - Background and Objectives: This article presents a narrative-based case study about vital involvement in an elder role model, exploring the dimensions of this man's current vital involvement and identifying its lifelong expressions that appear, in older adulthood, to have enabled him to become such an exemplar. This case was chosen from a larger study of "Elder Roles Models", that explores: (i) What about these particular older adults (identified by colleagues, friends, program directors, and service providers) constitutes their "elder role model-hood"; and (ii) How, developmentally, they got to be this way in older adulthood. This case study addresses the first of these questions by identifying five dimensions of vital involvement. Research Design and Methods: Case study data were collected through five, semi-structured life-history interviews conducted over the 3 months. Interviews (90-120 minutes, each) were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings: Five dimensions emerged as constituting this man's vital involvement in older adulthood: (i) enacting personal values and strengths; (ii) person-environment reciprocity; (iii) using environmental supports; (iv) enriching the environment; and (v) experience-based perspective. Discussion and Implications: Dimensions are contextualized in terms of gerontological and life-cycle research, theory, and practice. A fundamental principle of Erikson's theory of lifelong psychosocial development, the vital involvement dynamic, is suggested as an "umbrella concept"for integrating disparate gerontological practices, theories, and research, and for conceptualizing older adulthood in the context of the life cycle as a whole.
KW - Erikson
KW - Life course/life span
KW - Life-cycle theory
KW - Psychosocial development
KW - Qualitative analysis: Case study
KW - Qualitative analysis: Thematic analysis
KW - Vital involvement
KW - Well-being
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U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnz114
DO - 10.1093/geront/gnz114
M3 - Article
C2 - 31504494
AN - SCOPUS:85088278764
VL - 60
SP - 831
EP - 840
JO - Gerontologist
JF - Gerontologist
SN - 0016-9013
IS - 5
ER -