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[Identity work among aged members of religious orders : Qualitative study with Jesuits and Sacré-Cœur sisters]
Ruth Mächler1, Rosa Maria Erlenberg2,3, Eckhard Frick1
1School of Medicine and Health, Technische Universität München, München, Deutschland.
Background:
Aged members of religious orders talked about their lives.
Aim Of The Study:
The aim of this study is to describe how identity work is manifested in old age among members of religious orders.
Material And Methods:
Narrative interviews were conducted. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and communicatively validated in group discussions by the interviewees.
Results:
Interviews with 21 people aged 80-98 years were analyzed. It was found that the majority of the aged members of religious orders were concerned with questions of their own identity. An important area of their identity work is faith. They reflect on who God is for them and develop new images of God and themselves.
Discussion:
The results of the study suggest that even people with a high degree of life course continuity question their identity in old age and engage intensively in exploratory processes.
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