成人子女作為家庭主要照顧者轉化歷程的後形式思維之研究

Abstract

受儒家文化影響的台灣社會中，成人子女對於照顧父母的責任承擔，都以一種應然的態度來應對。但是「應然」不表示沒有挫折與挑戰。重要的是，在面對照顧父母隨之而來的生活變動時，能夠學習改變，瞭解自己調整的必要。學習面對照顧責任所帶來生活改變的必然，學習運用當下時空環境條件，做出最適卻不一定是最好的因應。 本研究透過深度訪談四位成人子女照顧者的經驗，探討他們面對照顧父母時的責任壓力與自我發展衝突時，其心理調適與問題解決方式，並以「後形式思維」的理論架構，利用自我轉化感知連結的觀點，分析受訪成人子女在照顧過程中，自身與家庭及社會關係的改變，以及自身對未來的生命感受。 研究結果有以下四點發現： 一、學習看待現實生活有些條件的限制，瞭解到每件事都有其不同的因果關係背景，轉換角度看待承擔照顧責任帶來的結果與改變，有時為了解決照顧問題的學習，卻成了另一種生活樣貌的轉捩點。 二、生命旅程悲欣交集，必須改變認知觀點，瞭解得失相互依存的人生真實。照顧父母看似辛苦，卻也是與父母一同學習以包容、寬廣的觀點來面對老後生活課題的學習機會。 三、在人生每個不同階段性任務完成之際，都是改變的契機。瞭解成人生活中最重要的就是不要害怕改變。運用後形式思維運作突破原有的傳統思維與框架，轉化自我，自在看待自己即將到來的老年歲月。 四、藉由生命經驗的精煉與反思，後形式思維是成人學習重要的一環。後形式思維的運作應該可以被學習的，而且應該被視為成人學習重要的一環，以因應高齡社會所可能帶來的挑戰。 基於上述研究發現，本研究主張成人子女可以利用學習應用「後形式思考」架構，改變認知模式，調適面對的衝突與挑戰，緩解其照顧父母的負向情緒，進而將其正面的照顧體驗「轉化」成為日後願意繼續照顧中高齡家人的動力，使本身的身心達到平衡的狀況，與被照護者、其他家人、及社會他者的關係能有更好的發展。In Taiwan, taking care of parents seems to be an obligation for adult children out of the filial piety. Obligations sometimes bring frustrations and challenges. What matters is how to adapt and to adjust. Taking care of parents might ripple their life, but they can always learn to cope with it in optimal ways, even not the best ways. This study explores the caring pressure and self-development conflicts confronting those adult children care givers while they assume the role of family care givers. Through the in-depth interviews with four adult children care givers, this study presents their adaptation, adjustment and problem-solving experience. And the “post-formal thought” is used here as the theoretical framework to analyze the felt-connections of these adult children family care givers. From the viewpoint of “self-transform,” this study unfold the way these interviewees “transform” their connections with themselves, with others, and with the transcendence. And there are four points found in this study: 1. Learn to accept the limits in real life. Everything in life has its causality. Only when they perceive their caring responsibility in another point of view can they change these limits into turning points. 2. Change the cognition and adopt the interdependence of highs and lows in life. The labor in caring parents brings opportunities to find out the true meaning of life with parents in a broader mind. 3. Every time when a developmental task is fulfilled, a possibility for changes emerges. Being unafraid of changes is essential to adults. Break the traditional fetters with post-formal thoughts and self-transform. Meet the challenges along with the arrival of old ages at ease. 4. These life experience and reflections make us understand the importance of Post-formal thoughts in adult learning. Based on the above findings, this study suggests that adult children should learn to use the Post-formal thoughts change their cognition model to cope with the challenges and conflicts along with the caring responsibility and eliminate the negative emotions. Furtherly, they can “transform” these positive caring experience into the driving force for them to assume the roles of parent caregiver. And thus the balance and development can be achieved.