Recognizing Aspects of Oneself in the Theory of Gerotranscendence

• The theory of gerotranscendence describes a development involving new understandings of the self, relationships to others, and fundamental existential questions. When learning about the theory, individuals frequently claim that they recognize aspects of themselves in it. This represents a bottom-up relationship between reality and theory, where the validity of a theory is spontaneously confirmed by individuals of flesh and blood – not by any formal theory testing procedure. But what does it really mean to recognize aspects of oneself in a scientific theory, and how should such recognition be understood? The present paper reports on an in-depth study of a single individual case of such recognition or identification. The informant had first learned about the theory of gerotranscendence through a short presentation on a TV program. Because she felt she was familiar with aspects of the theory and saw them in herself, she emailed her insights to the second author. This self-report was followed by lengthy in-depth interviews with the informant conducted by the first author. The interviews revealed how this active, alert and mentally healthy subject had felt an immense relief and happiness when she learned about the theory, because the theory presented evidence that the development she was experiencing was both normal and healthy. A narrative analysis suggests that the informant’s individual life, including positively handled crises and turning points in a life course category labeled ‘Life as a hurdle race’, has paved the way for certain reevaluations and reconsiderations that may be prerequisites for the development of gerotranscendence. The informant’s earlier notes in diaries and small booklets rule out any suspicion that the life story she presented may have been tailored to fit the theory.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Gerotranscendence

Sociology

Sociologi

Sociologi

Sociology

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

rap (subject category)