Using a Life History Approach to Explore the Identity of a Woman Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease: The Life of Mary

This study utilized life history as a methodological tool to explore the identity formation of Mary, a woman in her eighties who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The results of this study showed that Mary's sense of self was greatly influenced by her childhood experiences. Five predominate themes emerged in the interview process: Mary's admiration for her father, her willingness to share wisdom, her career as a beautician, her role as a mother, and her devotion as a wife. The Dynamical Identity Model was constructed to help further illustrate Mary's identity development and the model served as a basis to describe possible outcomes in Mary's life, as a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Her story reveals that Mary has a wonderful disposition about life and, even though she was diagnosed with this disease, she does not perceive the disease as threatening.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Development

Department dc:contributor.department

Human Development

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1999

Author dc:creator

• Campbell, Micah Sean

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Stremmel, Andrew J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Fu, Victoria R.
• Roberto, Karen A.

• qualitative research
• life story
• Alzheimer's disease

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-061599-132826

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33599