A Narrative Inquiry into Middle-aged Women who Experienced the Residential Independence of Never-married Children

Abstract

This study examined the experience of middle-aged women, centering on the home as the residence of never-married children. I conducted interviews with four such women in their 50s and 60s who had experienced the residential independence of never-married children within the past five years, and a variety of field texts were used as research texts. Through reconstructing the participants’ experiences, two main themes emerged: experiencing anxiety regarding alienation from their child and expecting to resolve this anxiety through the marriage of their child. The participants were anxious about their never-married children, and this study found that at the root of this was anxiety regarding being alienated from their children. The participants often attempted to visit their children’s homes to relieve such anxiety but, as their children often discouraged this, the situation was aggravated. Thus, the participants wished for their children to marry, as they aspired to restore an intimate relationship with them through such an event. These results imply that tensions and conflicts between parents and children may arise due to the independence of never-married children.