Abstract |
The social phenomenon of divorce presents a steady increase in the last few years, not
only in Greece but also in Europe due to many factors, mainly the rapid global changes in our
modern society which has as a result an unavoidable differentiation which is seen in social
values and in inter-family relationships and roles.
The basic aim of this Doctorate Thesis is the examination, the description and to make
known the psychological repercussions (impacts, effects, implications) of divorce in an eight
member family – two mothers, two fathers and four children and also how each member
experiences this difficulty. The research procedure that follows is based on systemic and
phenomenological methodology within the use of qualitative research with the collection of
rich information from various sources which relate to the experiences of the subjects,
particularly the use of semi-structured clinical interviews, genogram’s interviews,
observation, metaphorical and drawingtasks. The main questions we are examining in this
research are the following: (1) How a divorce affects the formation of self of the participants
themselves? (2) What the relationships, the dynamics and interactions are, which are
developed among the family members in the framework of a divorce? (3) How the structure
and function of the divorced family affect the participants’ sentimental level of independence
and the whole emotional system of the new family form? (4) How the intergenerational
history affects the functioning of the participants with the rest of the family members? (5)
What kind of perceptions, myths, projection and behavioral patterns and communication
dominate in the divorced family of the subjects in this research? (6) What factors and
procedures determine the differentiation of the family members which are examined and the
uniqueness of theirlived experience concerning the divorce?
From the analysis of the collected research data, it is ascertained that the narrations of
the eight participants constitute a significant study framework of their lived experience in
relation to their past, their present and their future and the starting point of comprehending the
changes, the symptoms, the conflicts, the dynamics and the opportunities which they are
experiencing.
Furthermore, from the biographical-narrative interviews, the observations, the
drawings and the metaphors of the participants show the long-term negative repercussions in
their life and the various factors involved which made it difficult for their smooth adjustment
and functionality. At the same time, this research also shows the positive dimensions of a
divorce which constitute a vital catalyst for the re-evaluation or reconstruction of the
alternative formation of the self and the family, such as the divorced family, the upbringing of
the children, the role of the step-father and the role of both sexes.
The basic issue which is stressed in the findings and conclusions of this research is not
only the complexity of the lived experience of the divorce, but also the level of endurance and
resilience of the subjects in this survey, who in turn affect the standards and the quality of
their adjustment and functioning of their daily life.In addition, the structural and functional
characteristics of the family under study are revealed (for example, repetitive patternsor
recurring motifs, defense mechanisms, modes of regulation and self-regulation, myths, rituals,
triangles etc.) in conjunction with the diverse and unique senses of lived experience from the
divorce and its repercussions to every family member (mother, father and children).
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