The paper is the first of three publications which will address the problem of existential concerns explored from the perspective of seniors. The common feature of these papers is the attempt to investigate this phenomenon be means of qualitative research conducted among seniors. We believe that seniors in their late adulthood or old age are more deeply aware of the approaching death, what motivates them to reflect on the fragile and finite nature of human existence and the meaning of their lives. As they face challenging thoughts and sense that these thoughts focus on the most fundamental existential problem, they try to respond to it and formulate individual solutions. This is very interesting for researchers because the reality studied is in this case recognized as it is being formed, in statu nascendi. The dynamics of this process is connected with the way seniors experience themselves as they cope with their existential concerns on daily basis. With every new experience, they may arrive at different conclusions or confirm that their present way of thinking and evaluating life is the right one. The purpose of presenting diverse research reflections in the papers is not to verify again an again the results obtained previously in other samples but rather to grasp the complex picture which shows the ways seniors approach life and death, understand their existential concerns and their importance in life as well as the mechanisms they use to buffer existential fear in different circumstances. The publications present different research strategies including analyses of materials obtained as short written statements, unstructured interviews and survey questionnaires. As part of theoretical introduction to the research problem, this papers presents reflections on the main aspects of finiteness of human existence, set in the interdisciplinary scientific discourse. A special emphasis in the discussion is put on the self-reflective context of confrontation with the anticipated, inevitable death in the light of the essence of human existence recognized as an autotelic value. The research section focuses on exploring how do seniors approach the phenomenon of transience of life and inevitability of death. The research material was obtained in the form of short statements written by seniors as answers to open ended questions. As a result of the analysis, a quite complex catalogue was created of responses of seniors to the inevitability of death - from acceptance of one’s own death to suppression of the death-related thoughts. The analysis also resulted in the typology of five approaches towards death, presented by the seniors. The names of these categories are, in our opinion, symbolic and include: stoic, worldview-based, existential, anxiety-based and avoidance approach.
The paper is a review of the habilitation monograph by Artur Fabiś published in 2018 by Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Pedagogicznego in Krakow. In a concise, synthetic form, a discussion is undertaken around the main conceptual, theoretical and methodological premises of the research concept adopted in the paper as well as the cognitive value of analyses and interpretations derived from the collected research material. The paper also draws the attention of the readers to the original character and advantages of that publication.
PL
Tekst jest recenzją monografii habilitacyjnej Artura Fabisia opublikowanej w 2018 r. przez Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Pedagogicznego w Krakowie. W zwięzłej, syntetycznej formie podjęto dyskusję wokół przyjętych w pracy głównych kategorii pojęciowych, teoretycznych i metodologicznych przesłanek koncepcji badań, a także wartości poznawczej analiz i interpretacji wywiedzionych ze zgromadzonego materiału badawczego. Zwrócono również uwagę na oryginalny charakter i walory niniejszej publikacji.
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