A Study of Subjective well-being for Middle aged Female Volunteer

• Main Authors: Geok Hong Ng, 黃玉鳳
• Other Authors: 周美伶
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/92625230134615949024

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 輔導與諮商研究所 === 100 === This research aimed to (1) understand the subjective well-being of middle age female volunteers, (2) discover their physical, emotional and social development, (3) explore their motivation for volunteering, and (4) understand the process of the enhancement of their well-being through volunteering. This research adopts qualitative semi-structured interviews of 4 participants and the main findings are stated as follows: I. Middle aged Female Volunteers are positive and active in dealing with life challenges in Midlife. Family are still the core concerned for them. And death is an inevitable cause for concern in midlife too. Moreover, other than their care for the family, they too emphasize their concern for the society and personal growth. Furthermore, it is more appropriate to describe midlife as a transition rather than crisis. II. Middle aged Female Volunteers started with an intention to help others. In addition, some for using what they have learned. But the continuous motivation for volunteering is derived from needs of concerns for others and self-esteem, and self-actualization need. On the other hand, volunteering also embodied self-efficacy and personal agency. III. Middle aged Female Volunteers are matured in terms of self-acceptance, positive relationship with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life and personal growth, as well as possessing personal qualities, such as curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, persistence, kindness, social intelligence, prudence, self-regulation, gratitude and hope. IV. Volunteering is part of middle aged Female Volunteers’ self-enhancement, and improving their self-esteem, which in turn leads to better well-being. Finally, the researcher includes a comparative analysis of research findings with the literature and makes recommendations for future research and study of middle age females. Keywords: Middle aged female, Volunteering, Middle aged female volunteer, Subjective well being, Positive psychology