The unfolding of meaning in narratives of unemployed young adult graduates

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dc.contributor.advisor Bakker, Terri M.
dc.contributor.postgraduate Van Lill, Rinet
dc.date.accessioned 2020-11-04T15:09:57Z
dc.date.available 2020-11-04T15:09:57Z
dc.date.created 20/05/07
dc.date.issued 2019
dc.description Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2019.
dc.description.abstract The objective of this study was to explore how meaning unfolded in the narratives of unemployed young adult graduates. South Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, which is affecting a growing number of university graduates. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge about this population by combining insights on unemployment, young adulthood as a distinctive developmental period, and meaning. A qualitative research design, incorporating an existential-humanistic paradigm, was utilised to explore the nuances of personal experiences regarding meaning. A total of 12 participants between the ages of 21 and 30 who had graduated and had been unemployed for at least six months took part in individual interviews. Rich data were gathered through narrative interviews, and a narrative analysis yielded findings that demonstrated the uniqueness of each story and common themes that emerged. The participants had experienced a loss of meaning when expectations of employment were disappointed, which inspired efforts to seek meaning. Commitment to their original purpose through further education, connecting with supportive people, being involved in meaningful activities, and reflecting on how to obtain new coherence and growth restored their sense of meaning. The findings suggest that the ability to pursue new avenues of meaning can be cultivated as a valuable resource during unemployment. Stakeholders involved in graduates’ transition to work should consider including meaning-focused interventions to prepare graduates for the labour market and to curb the deleterious effects of unemployment.
dc.description.availability Unrestricted
dc.description.degree PhD
dc.description.department Psychology
dc.identifier.citation Van Lill, R 2019, The unfolding of meaning in narratives of unemployed young adult graduates, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76812>
dc.identifier.other A2020
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76812
dc.language.iso Spa
dc.publisher University of Pretoria
dc.rights © 2020 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
dc.subject UCTD
dc.subject meaning
dc.subject unemployment
dc.subject young adulthood
dc.subject graduates
dc.subject narrative research
dc.title The unfolding of meaning in narratives of unemployed young adult graduates
dc.type Thesis


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