A Library Card, Cigarettes, and Hand Painted Dishes: Stories of Older Women’s Meaningful Possessions
Date of Award
3-2019
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Gerontology: M.S.
Department
Program in Gerontology
College
School of Health and Human Services
First Advisor
Phyllis Greenberg
Second Advisor
Rona Karasik
Third Advisor
Elizabeth Berila
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
Meaning, Possessions, Legacy, Stories, Older women, Identity
Abstract
Many older women feel a deep connection to their possessions and these possessions relate to their sense of self and their identity. In order to best capture and honor the stories told by older women about their possessions, mindful listening and media was employed in this case study. These valuable tools enabled the researcher to be present with the participants, deepening their level communication. Mindful listening was beneficial for interviewing others as it allowed listeners to truly hear someone else’s story by increasing their self-awareness, presence, and curiosity. This case study is directed towards laying a foundation for others to practice more mindful awareness in their interviewing skills and therefore inspire more empathy when interviewing older women (adults) about their meaningful possessions. Five women who are 64 years of age and older were interviewed about their meaningful possessions.
Recommended Citation
Clemens, Amanda, "A Library Card, Cigarettes, and Hand Painted Dishes: Stories of Older Women’s Meaningful Possessions" (2019). Culminating Projects in Gerontology. 8.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/gero_etds/8
