Abstract
M.A.
Over the years it has become clear that divorce is an increasingly common occurrence.
As a legal process, divorce sanctions the dissolution of a marriage but it does not
necessarily dissolve the connections that developed between the individuals during a
marriage. This is particularly the case when children are involved. Parents might choose
to relinquish their connection to each other as husband and wife but they cannot
relinquish the connection to their children as mother and father. This study was designed
to explore the way in which the effects of parental divorce surface during the
developmental period of young adulthood. The aim of the study was to offer some insight
into the long-term effects of parental divorce and to add to the knowledge and
understanding of this complex phenomenon.
The design of the study was qualitative and data was collected through in-depth
unstructured interviews with three young adults who have experienced parental divorce.
The interviews with each of the participants were conducted as part of a therapeutic
process. An intra-individual analysis of the information offered by each participant
rendered an understanding of their phenomenological experience of parental divorce
while an inter-individual analysis of their accounts permitted a discussion of common and
contrasting themes and patterns. The literature reviews on the effects of parental divorce and the findings of this study,
have formed the basis for a proposed a theoretical framework which will enhance the
understanding of the phenomenological experience of parental divorce. It is hoped that
the information gained will serve as guidelines for those working with individuals who
have experienced parental divorce.
Key Words: Parental divorce, young adult, identity, relationship, holism, system,
cybernetics, constructivism, phenomenological, qualitative investigation, process.