The purpose of this study lies in knowing and understanding of the changing process of the old people participating in senior job programs. This study was carried out based on Grounded Theory Method proposed by Strauss & Corbin(1998).
One male and ...
The purpose of this study lies in knowing and understanding of the changing process of the old people participating in senior job programs. This study was carried out based on Grounded Theory Method proposed by Strauss & Corbin(1998).
One male and six females all of who were over 65 years old have joined in this project. Theoretically suitable for the Strauss & Corbin(1998)'s Grounded Theory Method based theoretical sampling was the criteria for selecting the subjects.
Data needed for the study were collected from 2010 May to September through observation by depth interview. This researcher had chosen semi-structured interview with some question list made out in advance to conduct depth interview more naturally. And used recorder not to omit important contents of the interview, and then gathered the record 24 hours after the recording. Gathered record were put to transfer and then open coding to the analysis method of Strauss & Corbin(1998), and in axial coding stage, they were put to paradigm based categorical data analysis and process analysis. In selection coding, detected core category, wrote down story line, and drew out category-connection centering around core category and then classified patterns. Besides, put out contingency model as a complete and persuasive explanation for central phenomenon.
84 concepts from open coding, 34 sub categories and 11 categories were drawn out through this study. In axial coding, paradigm based category analysis put out 'We're old in age but young at heart' as the causal conditions of changing process of the old people joining in the old people's employment project. In central phenomenon, 'entering into a new world so called, employment for the old people' was brought up. The contextual conditions brought up such central phenomenon appeared to be 'various living experiences went through while young', 'difficulty in entering into the society' In central phenomenon, 'intervening conditions triggering interaction strategy' appeared to be the ideal view of the old', 'social support' Besides, 'the attitude toward work was drawn out for in reaction/ interaction strategy, and as its result, 'healthier life', 'detecting positive myself in me, 'self-help happiness, 'working youth were brought up.
The changing process in the living of the senior job programs appeared to be 'stage of suffering pain', 'stage of looking for and being involved', 'stage of finding myself again'. The first stage of 'suffering pain' revealed various pains the old people are going through. Although there were differences in degree, most old people suffered from four pains(pain of sickness, pain of poverty, pain of loneliness and pain of inaction, and that went for the most of the senior job programs. In the second stage of 'looking into and being involved' the old people make efforts to get out of their pains through diverse courses, and one of their solution is to participate in the senior job programs. In third stage of 'finding myself again', their joining in the project was helpful for them to solve their problems and they were thankful to such help. The participation of the old people in the project enabled them to secure support system by family, peer & clan culture, public support and in local society realizing 'working youth[working silver]' through the joining in more stable senior job programs.
The core category of the changing process in the living of the old joining in the project appeared to be 'in pain', found the job', 'found myself'. The result of the confirming of the connection between the continually appearing categories focusing on the core category was the patterns of changing process in living of the old joining in the project which were' designing positive future', 'designing obscure future', 'complacent attitude ' patterns.
The participants of 'designing positive future pattern' thought on the living until their joining in the project hard. They had lived the life much harder than that of other people, but experienced various life, and they thought the experiences as their firm basis in making their living.
The participants of 'designing obscure future pattern' also remembered their living until the joining in the project difficult. They said the had loved harder life suffering from many twists and turns. But, they said that their current problems were much worse than the hard experiences in the past. They spoke out their still difficult life due to the suffering from personal sickness, financial difficulty, role loss & loneliness and depression all of which seemed to be very serious. They were managing to get along right now, but diverse problems before them were making them design their future for finding themselves obscure.
Lastly, regarding the participants of 'complacent attitude pattern', they didn't think their experiences until the joining in the project very hard. They had lived smooth life without much of ups and downs, and still relatively living abundant life compared with the old people had lived hard life. Besides, their present problems were less serious setting them to settle for the present.
Following are the suggestions of the implication for social welfare based on such results above. First, the senior job programs need to be taken as 'a process for the old to successfully find myself'. Programs(projects) for welfare have focused mostly on the youth or the people maladaptive to society relatively excluding the active(productive) project for the old till now. That' why the concern about the old in their productive, active adaptation to the society needs to be extended without fail.
Second, most previous studies on the senior job programs or the changing process in the living of the participants were sort of leaning toward quantitative side. Accordingly, this researcher carried out qualitative study on the changing process in the living of the old joining in the project which enabled me to conduct deeper stu