Browsing by Author "Harris, Grant Michael"

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    An interpretive phenomenological analysis of religious coping and relationship with god among older adults with functional impairments
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Harris, Grant Michael; Allen, Rebecca S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This study represents a qualitative exploration of several phenomena within religious coping. The aims of this study were threefold. First was to evaluate the nature of older adults' relationship with God and their God-person interaction style. In addition, we sought to understand how control and acceptance were experienced in this context. Second, this study aimed to explore participants' understanding of a standard measure of religious coping. Third, this study aimed to explore potential areas of divergence in the nature of study phenomena between African American and White participants. Guided by hermeneutic phenomenology, 25 interviews were conducted (13 African American, 12 White). Cognitive interviews evaluating understanding of a survey measure (RCOPE) of one's relationship with God were conducted to qualitatively inform quantitative research with this oft-used measure and to explore racial/ethnic divergences within its factors. Results of phenomenological analyses included a thorough description and interpretation of one's relationship with God (themes included: intimacy with and presence of God), the use of one's relationship with God when coping (themes: communication to and from God, reliance on God, God provides), and the experience of incorporating this relationship throughout the coping process (themes: My part, faith, God's will, God's time, relinquish, acceptance and control). Emergent themes were discussed within the framework of the motivational theory of lifespan development and the transactional theory of stress and coping. Participants' coping represented both primary and secondary control processes as well as problem-, emotion-, and meaning-focused coping. One's perception of God's will and God's time were interpreted as essential elements with significant implications for one's ability to accept one's situation. African Americans reported a distinct intimacy with God defined by God's enhanced knowledge of them. Novel understanding of participants' comprehension and response-formation processes of an RCOPE subscale were explored. The need for another factor was delineated through the exploration of participants' construct-incongruent comprehension of the collaborative coping items. The factor would be less indicative of a relationship defined by equality. This factor was salient among African Americans. Furthermore, adding a factor assessing relinquishing prior to reaching one's level of perceived restraints was indicated from the results.
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    Religious coping styles, meaning, and emotional outcomes within the stress process: an examination of resilience in older adults
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2011) Harris, Grant Michael; Allen, Rebecca S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    People living with an advanced, chronic illness and loved ones caring for this group often report experiencing both positive and negative emotional outcomes as a result of their situation. The Folkman (1997) Stress Process Model suggests that meaning-based coping is the mechanism that leads to positive emotions and ultimately decreases negative emotions among this group. The current study examined one aspect of the Folkman (1997) model. Specifically, meaning was tested as a mediator of the relation of religious coping styles to gain control and emotional outcomes. Tests of the bivariate associations of study variables were conducted as were tests regressing mastery on the religious coping styles. The effect of race on variables of interest was also assessed. In addition, in-person semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to provide an in-depth examination of key study variables and their relations. Participants included 35 non-demented care recipients with advanced, chronic illness and 35 family members providing care to this group. This sample included approximately equal numbers of Caucasians and African Americans. Analyses were conducted for care recipients and caregivers separately. Results indicated that meaning was not a mediator of religious coping styles and emotional outcomes. Bivariate associations suggested that the relation between the religious coping styles, meaning, and emotional outcomes varied by race. The religious coping styles were largely not predictive of mastery. Results of the qualitative and quantitative methods converged in several areas: the consequence of religion/spirituality is largely the creation of positive emotion, religious coping styles were not related to meaning, and the religious coping styles were not related to a sense of mastery. Interpretation of results was discussed in consideration of the current research in the area as well as the limitations of the current study. Implications for future qualitative and quantitative research based on study findings were addressed.