Volume 26, Issue 1

Abstract

Abstract

Research among older people often focuses on the present. Nevertheless, life course research can help to understand how certain behavior and feelings take shape and evolve throughout the course of life, and how life events at a younger age can influence conditions, behaviors and feelings in later life. In this article, we focus on the McAdams life story interview method, which we applied in three different studies. We describe the different steps, reflect on the main pitfalls in the implementation of this approach and explain how we attempted to avoid them. The experiences and reflections of both the participants and the researchers are discussed.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.5117/KWA2021.1.006.SWIT
2021-01-01
2024-03-28
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/13851535/26/1/KWA2021.1.006.SWIT.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.5117/KWA2021.1.006.SWIT&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Atkinson, R.(1998). The life story interview. London: SAGE Publications.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Dannefer, D., & Settersten, R.A., Jr.(2010). The study of the life course: Implications for social gerontology. In D.Dannefer & C.Phillipson (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of social gerontology (pp. 4–20). London: SAGE Publications.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Dickson-Swift, V., James, E.L., Kippen, S., & Liamputtong, P.(2009). Researching sensitive topics: Qualitative research as emotion work. Qualitative Research, 9(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794108098031
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Erikson, E.H.(1963). Childhood and society (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Norton.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Gilligan, C., Spencer, R., Weinberg, M.K., & Bertsch, T.(2003). On the listening guide: A voice-centered relational method. In P.M.Camic, J.E. Rhodes, & L.Yardley (Eds.), Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design (pp. 157–172). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10595-009
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Gray, J., & Dagg, J.(2019). Using reflexive lifelines in biographical interviews to aid the collection, visualisation and analysis of resilience. Contemporary Social Science, 14(3-4), 407–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2018.1459818
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Marshall, V.W. & Clarke, P.I.(2010)Agency and social structure in aging and life-course research. In D.Dannefer & C.Phillipson (Eds.), The Sage handbook of social gerontology (pp. 294–305). London: SAGE Publications.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. McAdams, D.P.(2008). The life story interview: The Foley Center for the Study of Lives. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Sermijn, J., Loots, G., & DevliegerP.(2009). Het onderzoeken van verhalen over het zelf: een narratieve, rizomatische benadering. KWALON 42, 14(3), 17–26.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Stegen, H., Switsers, L., & De Donder, L.(2020). Life stories of voluntarily childless older people: A retrospective view on their reasons and experiences. Journal of Family Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X20949906
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Tolvanen, E., & Jylhä, M.(2005). Alcohol in life story interviews with Finnish people aged 90 or over: Stories of gendered morality. Journal of Aging Studies, 19(4), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2004.11.001
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Van Regenmortel, S., Smetcoren, A.-S., Marsillas, S., Lambotte, D., Fret, B., & De Donder, L.(2019). Exploring underexposed stories: The experienced lifecourse of financially excluded older adults. Ageing & Society, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X19001235
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Wassink, H.(2018). De Post-It®-methode: betekenisvol en handzaam interviewen. KWALON 69, 23(3), 40–47.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.5117/KWA2021.1.006.SWIT
Loading
Keyword(s): life story; narrative research; older people; qualitative research

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed