Korean J Women Health Nurs.  2016 Mar;22(1):11-20. 10.4069/kjwhn.2016.22.1.11.

Life's Experiences of Middle-aged Divorced Women with Higher Education and Profession

• Park HS
• Bae YS
• Lee SH
• Yu SJ
• Jeon SY

• KMID: 2307907
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2016.22.1.11

Abstract

PURPOSE
Today, an increasing number of divorce is shifting family forms and gender role practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand life's experiences of middle-aged divorced women with higher education and profession lives in Korea.
METHODS
For this study, 6 middle-aged divorced women with similar backgrounds were recruited from December 2013 to June 2014, using in-depth individual interviews. Data analysis was performed using Giorgi's phenomenological methodology.
RESULTS
Individual interviews revealed the following 15 meaning of themes and 5 themes. 1) A woman considering herself to be ashamed that she has not lived an ordinary life. 2) The destiny of a woman not having a fortune. 3) An exhilarated mood like a teenage girl's 4) Suppressing an instinctive desire of sex. 5) Being a mother as a woman head of household.
CONCLUSION
This study provides deep understanding of middle-aged divorced women with higher levels of education and professional lives of women who experienced difficult times and overcame their problems. Based on the results of this study, nursing strategies for enhancing quality of life need to be created and implemented for all professional women by Korean community networking gradually.

Keyword

Divorce; Middle aged; Women; Life

MeSH Terms

Community Networks
Divorce*
Education*
Family Characteristics
Female
Gender Identity
Humans
Instinct
Korea
Middle Aged
Mothers
Nursing
Quality of Life
Statistics as Topic

Reference

1. Kang JH. Public perception on gender role and social participation of Korean women. 21st Century Polit Sci Rev. 2009; 19(2):173–198.

2. Pyun SJ. A study on effect of group art therapy for life satisfaction and elevation of personal relations of middle-aged women. Korean J Local Gov Adm Stud. 2010; 24(1):307–325.

3. Jeon BY, Cho HS. Divorced single mothers' life histories and postdivorce adaption. J Fam Relat. 2013; 18(3):179–206.

4. Kim MS. A sociological examination on single women groups. Korean J Soc Sci. 2011; 33(2):21–38.

5. Cho IS, Ahn SH, Kim SY, Park YS, Kim HW, Lee SO, et al. Depression of married and employed women based on social-role theory. J Korean Acad Nurs. 2012; 42(4):496–507.

6. Statistics Korea. Statistics for the Lone parents family [Internet]. Seoul: Statistics Korea;2013. cited 2015 January 9. Available from: http://www.index.go.kr/potal/main/EachDtlPageDetail.do?idx_cd=1578#quick_05.

7. Sung JH. Development of group program for postdivorce adjustment. Korean J Fam Welf. 2002; 9:31–53.

8. Love RA, Walker TB. Divorce on behalf of an incompetent person by a guardian. Am J Fam Law. 2015; 28(4):171–175.

9. Ko SH, Park EA, Kim MA. The typology of gender role identity in middle-aged women using Q methodology. J Digit Converg. 2014; 12(6):449–456.

10. Wang SS, Ryu KH. A study on the types of unmarried single women based on their subjective perceptions on single life. Korean J Hum Ecol. 2013; 22(6):615–631.

11. Lee KH, Han JH. A study on psychological experiences of middle-aged women divorce proceedings the defendant. Korean J Couns. 2015; 16(1):353–371.

12. Cho KS. Outcome of participants on HRD program by highly educated middle-aged women: A case of Gangnam-gu women's development center program participants[master's thesis]. Seoul: Soongsil University;2009.

13. Cohen O, Leichtentritt RD, Volpin N. Divorced mothers' selfperception of their divorce-related communication with their children. Child Fam Soc Work. 2014; 19(1):34–43.

14. Thompson RG, Alonzo D, Hasin DS. Parental divorce, maternal-paternal alcohol problems, and adult offspring lifetime alcohol dependence. J Soc Work Pract Addict. 2013; 13(3):295–308.

15. Shin KL, Jo MY, An JH. Qualitative Research Methodology. Seoul: Ewha Womans University Press;2004. p. 557.

16. Giorgi A. The theory, practice, and evaluation of the phenomenological method as a qualitative research procedure. J Phenomenol Psychol. 1997; 28(2):235–260.

17. Morse JM. Constructing qualitatively derived theory: Concept construction and concept typologies. Qual Health Res. 2004; 14(10):1387–1395.

18. Lincoln YS, Guba EG. Naturalistic inquiry. Newburry Park. CA: Sage Publications;1985. p. 301–331.

19. Park YM, Chang YJ. A phenomenological study of single mothers who divorce due to family violence. Korean J Psychother. 2009; 9(1):1–25.

20. Kim CK. A phenomenological study on psychological experience appearances of middle-aged women. J Spec Educ Rehabil Sci. 2011; 50(3):25–51.

21. Kim HK. Failure of the patrilineal stem family system?: Familialism and individualization among the generation of economic crisis of Korea in 1998. Korean J Sociol. 2013; 47(2):101–141.

22. Choi KR. Psycho-social grounds of divorce and counselling implication. Korean J Couns. 2005; 6(3):1025–1040.

23. Lee SY. An analysis of differential non-marriage and divorce proportions by educational level in Korea: 1995-2010. Korea J Popul Stud. 2013; 36(4):1–24.

24. Song U. The study on process of adjustment after divorce of divorced women in 40's. J Pastor Care Couns. 2013; 20:30–60.