DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

Contents
1 The Development and Structure of the Thesis …...……………………………… 1
1.1 The Development of the Thesis: A Reflexive Prologue………………………….. 1
1.2 Methodological Developments…………………………………………………… 2
1.3 Structure of the Thesis……………………………………………………………. 3
2 A Review of Existing Literature and Theory……………………………............. 5
2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………….... 5
2.2 Development……………………………………………………………………….. 6
2.3 Crisis and Transition…………………………………………………….................. 13
2.4 Crisis, Trauma, Stress and Development…………………………………………... 17
2.5 The Self System..………………………………………………………………….. 21
2.6 The Narrative Self…………………………………………………………………. 23
2.7 Development of the Self………………………………………………………….... 25
2.8 The Effects of Crisis on the Self…………………………………………………… 28
2.9 Discourse and the Relational Self............................................................................. 29
2.10 Early Adulthood…………………………………………………………………. 30
2.11 The Changing Challenges of Early Adulthood………………………………….. 33
2.12 From Literature Review to Research Questions…………………………………. 36
3 An Epistemological Middle Way………………………………………............... 37
3.1 Beyond the Idiographic/Nomothetic Divide……………………………………….. 37
3.2 Between the Inductive / Hypothetic-Deductive Polarity…………………………... 40
3.3 Reconciling Realism and Constructionism..………………………………………. 42
3.4 Summary…………………………………………………………………………… 45
4 A Composite Qualitative Methodology………………………………….............. 46
4.1 The Growing Qualitative Impulse…………………………………………………. 46
4.2 Sources of the Composite……………..…………………………………………… 51
4.3 Components of the Composite Methodology……………………………………… 53
4.4 Validity and Quality Criteria………………………………………………………. 58
5 Generic Method and Study 1 Specifics…..………………………………………. 63
5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 63
5.2 Ethical Concerns…………………………………………………………………… 63
5.3 Case Definition of Early Adult Crisis……………………………………………… 64
5.4 Participant Recruitment……………………………………………………………. 65
5.5 Sample Universe…………………………………………………………………… 67
5.6 Choosing a Data Source: Semi-Structured Interviews…………………………….. 68
5.7 Practicalities of Data Collection…………………………………………………… 68
5.8 Memos……………………………………………………………………………... 69
5.9 Within-Case Analysis……………………………………………………………… 69
5.10 Between-Case Analysis…………………………………………………………... 70
5.11 Data Display: Memos and Diagrams……………………………………………... 70
5.12 Study 1 Sample Frame……………………………………………………………. 70
5.13 Study 1 Interviews and Transcripts……………………..………………………... 72
5.14 Clustering and Early Between Cases Analysis..………………………………….. 76
5.15 Between Cases Analysis Beyond the Clusters……………………………………. 78
6 Study 1 Results: An Emerging Crisis Dynamic…..……………………………… 80
6.1 Female Cluster: Domestic Crisis (N=4)…………………………………………… 80
6.2 Female Cluster: Career Woman Crisis (N=4)……………………………………... 86
6.3 Male Cluster: All-Consuming Crisis (N=4)……………………………………….. 95
6.4 Male Cluster: Marriage Crisis (N=2)………………………………………………. 103
6.5 Male Cluster: Career Crisis (N=2)………………………………………………… 107
6.6 Summary of Common 4-Phase Pattern……………………………………………. 112
6.7 Discussion………………………………………………………………………….. 112
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