Abstract
D.Litt. et Phil.
The aim of this research was to examine the nature of the western self, using a
grounded theory approach. The life narratives of a group of mid-life women were
analysed utilising the method outlined by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and the data
provided fertile ground for the development of a substantive theory of the self. In the
past, midlife was considered a part of old age. Changes in western society have meant
that midlife has become a significant life period. An examination of the nature of
selfhood in historical periods as well as in Prehistory constituted the literature review.
Modern and Postmodern approaches to the self were also examined.
For the participants, the self occupied the area between identity and soul. The
participants considered the soul to be the core of the individual. Identity was
described in terms of gender, physical appearance as well as date and place of birth.
Closely allied to the soul is said to be the individual value system. The participants
regarded the self as having certain features including cognitive, affective, spiritual and
physical components as well as unconscious elements. Moreover, the self is dynamic
and has an inherent directorial capacity based particularly on individual thinking and
feeling components.
The substantive theory of the self suggests that the self constitutes a sense of existence
resulting from conscious awareness of inherent personal capacity and awareness of
the immediate present, personal past and projected future. The purpose of the self is
to promote the survival of the individual. The core of the self is represented by the
need to survive and is experienced as a feeling of continuity contained within the
personal narrative. Survival is furthered by purposeful activity and the creation and
development of meaning structures. The self rests on inter-related physical, cognitive,
emotional-affective pillars, and responds to environmental currents. Thus the self is
essentially a process and is given the feeling of form through the narrative capacity
inherent in the individual. The self is situated in a self-space created by the
interrelationship of the physical, cognitive and affective components in relation to the
environment. Today, mainly through technological developments, the self-space has
increased in size, and greater demands are placed on the individual self.