The aging experiences of English speaking older white woman in central South Africa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Elliker, Florian | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hellerle, Ferdinand | |
| dc.contributor.other | Coetzee, Jan K. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-08-20T07:34:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-08-20T07:34:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The aim of this study was to explore the aging experiences of older white English speaking women in central South Africa. The initial motivation for this study came from a conversation I had with my study supervisor and mentor regarding the disparity between the manner in which older people were portrayed in society and the way in which they view their own aging experiences. Six women, aged 65 years and older, within the Bloemfontein area (the capital of the Free State Province in South Africa) were recruited to take part in this study. A qualitative research approach is used to explore the stories the women shared of their aging experiences in in-depth interviews. An interpretive sociological approach, which incorporates phenomenology, existential sociology, and reflexive sociology, is chosen for the purpose of this study. The narrative accounts of their stories are constructed in terms of themes that emerged, linking it with the literature. Role changes during their life course are found to influence who they have become. The dissertation starts off by introducing aging as a phenomenon before reviewing the concept of aging and components such as, society’s view of aging, retirement, social relationships, living arrangements and spirituality. Identity and the changing roles during the life course of a women is conceptualized as means of further understanding of the aging process before introducing the ontological and epistemological foundation on which the investigative process is based. The narratives of the older women in the study portray a holistic picture of aging. Contrary to older women being portrayed as frail, dependent individuals in society, the analysis reveals that they view aging as a positive process. They have clear ideas and expectations of what they want from life. It affords them the freedom to utilize their time in a manner that pleases them without having the responsibility of having to take a spouse into consideration, or to care for children. Despite living on a marginal financial budget, they construct themselves as women having close links with family and friends, being active members in their churches and societies, and as independent women who enjoy the freedom of living life on their own terms and within their means. Being older brings with it, for them, confidence, selfawareness, and the freedom to make their own choices. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die doel van hierdie studie was om die verouderingservarings van die ouer wit Engelssprekende vroue in sentraal Suid-Afrika te verken. Die aanvanklike motivering vir hierdie studie het gespruit vanuit ‘n gesprek wat ek gehad het met my toesighouer en mentor oor die verskille tussen die wyse waarop ouer mense in die gemeenskap uitgebeeld word, en die manier waarop hulle hul eie verouderingservarings sien. Ses vroue, in die ouderdomsgroep, 65 jaar en ouer, is binne die Bloemfontein-area (die hoofstad van die Vrystaat Provinsie in Suid-Afrika) gewerf om deel te neem aan hierdie studie. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering word gebruik om die stories te verken, deur in-diepte onderhoude te voer met die vroue wat hulle verouderingservarings deel. ‘n Interpretatiewe sosiologiese benadering, wat die fenomenologie, eksistensiële, en refleksiewe sosiologie insluit, is gekies vir die doel van hierdie studie. Die narratiewe verhaling van hulle ervarings is gekonstrueer in terme van temas wat na vore gekom het en is gekoppel aan bestaande literatuur. Daar is bevind dat rolveranderinge tydens hulle lewensloop ‘n invloed het op wie hulle geword het. Die verhandeling begin met die bekendstelling van veroudering as ‘n verskynsel, voordat die konsep van veroudering, sowel as komponente soos die samelewing se siening van veroudering, aftrede, sosiale verhoudings, verblyfsreëlings, en spiritualiteit, verken word. Identiteit en die veranderende rolle tydens die lewensloop van ‘n vrou word gekonseptualiseer as middele tot verdere begrip van die verouderingsproses alvorens die ontologiese an epistemologiese grondslag waarop die ondersoekende proses gebaseer is, verreken word. Die narratiewe verhale van die ouer vroue in die studie beeld ‘n holistiese prentjie van veroudering uit. In teenstelling met hoe ouer vroue uitgebeeld word as verswakte, afhanklike individue in die samelewing, toon die ontleding dat hulle veroudering as ‘n positiewe proses sien. Hulle het duidelike idees en verwagtinge van wat hulle wil hê in die lewe. Dit bied aan hulle die vryheid om hulle tyd te benut soos dit hulle behaag, sonder die verantwoordelikheid van ‘n gade, of om versorging van kinders in ag te neem. Ten spyte daarvan dat hulle op ‘n beperkte finansiële begroting lewe, konstrueer hulle hulself as vroue wat noue bande het met familie en vriende, as aktiewe lede in hulle kerke en gemeenskappe, en as onafhanklike vroue wat die vryheid geniet om ‘n lewe op hulle eie terme en binne hulle eie vermoë te benut. Vir die navorsingsdeelnemers bring dit vertroue, bewussyn van die self, en die vryheid om hulle eie keuses te maak. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Research Directorate at the University of the Free State and Prof Doreen Atkinson of the UFS Research Cluster on Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/988 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Older people | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Gerontology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Older women | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Social conditions | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.A. (Sociology)--University of the Free State, 2014 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | White women | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The aging experiences of English speaking older white woman in central South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |