Generativity in Elderly Oblate Sisters of Providence

• Published in: The Gerontologist 2016-06, Vol.56 (3), p.559-568
• Main Authors: Black, Helen K, Hannum, Susan M, Rubinstein, Robert L, de Medeiros, Kate
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Affect; African Americans; African Americans - psychology; Aged; Aging - ethnology; Aging - psychology; Catholicism; Children; Cognition; Culture; Definitions; Despotism; Ethnic identity; Female; Females; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Identity; Intergenerational Relations; Interviews as Topic; Older people; Qualitative Research; Quality of Life; Racism; Religion and Psychology; Religious education; Religious organizations; Siblings; Social psychology; Studies; Subcultures; Well being; Women
• ISSN: 0016-9013; 1758-5341
• DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnu091

We explored how generativity and well-being merged in a group of childless older women: African and Hispanic Roman Catholic Religious Sisters, linking two minority identity characteristics. We qualitatively interviewed 8 Oblate Sisters of Providence (OSP), by providing a framework for examining the range of the women's generativity-cultural spheres in which generativity is rooted and outlets for generativity. Early negative experiences, such as fleeing despotism in Haiti and Cuba and racism within the Catholic Church, occurred alongside positive experiences-families who stressed education, and Caucasian Religious who taught children of color. This became a foundation for the Sister's generative commitment. Findings highlight that research gains from a phenomenological understanding of how religious faith promotes generative cognitions and emotions. Findings also reveal that the experiences of a subculture in society-African-American elderly women religious-add to theories and definitions of generativity.