Analysis
On reviewing the material and considering the research question: ‘How do adults perceive that significant others in their lives have affected their development?’ a number of themes emerge:
- Culture and responsibility
Assan acknowledged cultural influences on early experiences in describing a collectivist, first-person-plural perspective [line 69]; identifying religious background [line 33], significance of parental roles [lines 20-25] and responsibility of the eldest sibling [lines 50-55]:
‘… the father would be the first person that you would seek guidance from, he’d be your spiritual leader… ‘ [lines 24-25]
These male dominated influences still permeated his life regarding roles and responsibility reflected in the aspirations of his marital relationship [lines 104-119] and furthermore being a journalist with an Arabic news agency though cultural differences produced relationship difficulties:
‘… do I really have an understanding because I’m not from that culture or country. It’s not under skin, as they say.’ [lines 99-101]
- Secure base and exploration
A key feature reflected Assan’s need for secure relationships; in particular, the value he placed on the relationship with his father reflecting communication and trust [lines 31-45]:
‘… my father always encouraged us to not be narrow-minded, to be open-minded, to question, to understand, to create a better relationship.’ [lines 34-36]
Additionally, this was evident from the relationship with his brother [lines 56-65]. Having a secure base enabled Assan’s confident communication to explore relationships at school [lines 70-78] though building further secure relationships became important in his marriage [lines 105-106] and job [lines 78-82]:
‘… he’s someone who has belief in me and who wants to see me do better, but also encouraging but wants me to do better. So I push myself more for him.’ [lines 132-134]
- Separation and acceptance
Assan experienced recurring instances of separation. Upon reunion from his father’s absence, story sharing re-established proximity [lines 43-45]. During separations, his brother provided secure attachment [lines 50-65] though it created expectation:
‘… you will be like him too. And so sometimes I feel little pressured to be as good as my brother.’ [lines 64-65].
Cultural separation also held weight [lines 69-70], notably, between childhood first-person-plural and adult first-person-singular descriptions [lines 33-34]. This lack of continuity produced identity conflict:
‘… because I move around so much, I feel who is, where am I really from, what is my own, own background, where is home for me?’ [lines 95-97]
A Freudian slip in his defensive exclusion of information was motivated by the need to avoid the negative attachment experience implied from losing his father:
‘I really valued that and enjoyed that relationship with him when he was still … when he was travelling and sharing his stories with us when he’d come back.’ [lines 43-45]
Further, separation from his marital relationship due to job saw dependency on the secure relationship provided by his boss [lines 122-135].
The above is consistent with attachment theory in that Ainsworth et al. would suggest Assan’s sense of security and stability was influenced by early vertical relationships (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.30-1) and transmitted by AAT as van Ijzendoorn would predict (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.34). However, Freud and Dann; Schaffer would propose the impact of his horizontal sibling relationship (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.8). Nonetheless, Bowlby would argue these representations impacted his internal working model (as cited in DSE212 Course team, 2007, p.317) and Main et al. would suggest this shaped his AAT (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.26-7). In this way, Chen and Andersen; Andersen and Miranda would suggest his adult emotional reactions were triggered by similarities in early vertical relationships (as cited in Stevens, 2002, p.184). However, Main and Goldwyn would argue his achievement of ‘earned secure’ through a positive marital relationship (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.27).
Discussion
The present study aimed to explore Assan’s perceptions of how significant others affected his development? Within theme (i) Culture and responsibility, culture guided specific roles of caregivers. This social regulation produced collective caretaking affecting how significant others raised and related to Assan. This is consistent with attachment theory in that early relationships with significant others influence security and stability (Ainsworth et al.; as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.30-1). As such, his collectivist childhood experience almost exclusively viewed males as in charge of his socialization. Therefore, their definitions were imposed on him as objective reality according their own location in the social structure. The transactional nature of these relationships produced his adult orientation to attachment behaviours such as male honour, respect for elders, being the financial provider and responsibility for family wellbeing. These findings concord with Bowlby’s working model of attachment in functioning as a template for future relationships (Bowlby; as cited in DSE212 Course team, 2007, p.317). However, this transactional process of dynamic interaction between family and context may be better understood from a developmental contextualism approach.
Nonetheless, within theme (ii) secure base and exploration, his hierarchical arrangement of attachment figures produced a secure emotional climate. His ease of self reflection described valuing attachment relationships which influenced his personality by taking an objective and realistic viewpoint. This fluent, coherent and organised account openly included positive and negative emotional feelings matching Ainsworth’s ‘secure attachment’ type (Ainsworth et al.; as cited in Wood et al., 2002, pp.30-1). For example, the principal dyadic relationship with his father expressed bidirectional communication in open ways fostering trust. Similarly, as Freud and Dann; Schaffer would suggest, availability of complementary and reciprocal elements in the horizontal relationship with his brother functioned as a compensatory parent surrogate (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.8). Though these dyadic relationships existed on different dimensions, they interacted to support Assan and his family structure. Therefore, his proximity needs were balanced homeostatically with security transmitted by AAT as van Ijzendoorn would predict (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.34) and established his working model. This secure base enabled his confident autonomous exploration to fulfil social needs. Though not deterministic, Main et al. would suggest it influenced his AAT (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.26-7). For example, central to Assan’s identity construction as a journalist were expectations of open minded communication and understanding which concord with his working model. This added meaning to his life not only as a livelihood but for self-esteem. However, demands between career opportunities and family commitments produced an imbalance in social trajectories affecting his well-being.
This was explored in theme (iii) Separation and acceptance. Repeated separations occurred in Assan’s life interfering with the development of healthy attachments. This produced his inability to enter into close relationships through lack of trust. Primarily, his sometimes unavailable father produced a reliance on the secure relationship with his brother. However, expectations on both of them may have produced levels of insecurity and been amplified through fatherly loss. In this way, Main and Goldwyn would argue he achieved ‘earned secure’ through his positive marital relationship (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.27). However, in the developmental task of childbearing, his explicit identity position reveals an element of insecurity in falling short of role expectations because of occupational separation. Therefore, Chen and Andersen; Andersen and Miranda would argue his adult emotional reaction to his boss was triggered by similarities in the early vertical relationship with his father (as cited in Stevens, 2002, p.184) which reinforced security in his working model. Similarly, inconsistency and fracturing of social settings may have delivered less cohesive social relations. Zimmerman et al. would suggest life events held the more significant developmental influence (as cited in Wood et al., 2002, p.33). In this way, his acculturation involving multiple discourses seemed to have produced a struggle between collectivist and individualistic socio-cultural viewpoints.
In conclusion, findings concur with attachment theory that childhood relationship experiences can predict socio-emotional outcomes in later life. Assan’s childhood attachments produced a secure AAT though some insecurity appears the result of negative life events. This influenced his inability to maintain horizontal relationships and why he sought secure, vertical relationships in line with his working model. Therefore, attachment theory is not limited to a specific culture or gender, but multiple attachments occur hierarchically and the secure base concept seems to exist across developmental stages. This demonstrates the power of male parental working models in shaping attachment although is not the only developmental influence. The interesting notion arising is cultural definitions of attachment influencing developmental trajectories. The implications and practical applications for social policy and decision making in understanding these similarities and differences is vital in an increasingly globalized community.
Reflexive analysis
It should be indicated this is a personal interpretation of materials assessed and other researchers would construct their own meanings. The potential relevance of my epistemological beliefs, with significantly different cultural upbringing, being the eldest sibling having a maternal primary attachment figure may have influenced interpretations. Additionally, in using edited extracts of the interview, significant information may have been disregarded and distorted analysis. Although ethical considerations and time constraints meant I was unable to perform the interview, if I had, a different approach framework may have produced alternative findings. Furthermore, the fact that the interview was filmed, selective camera angles representing the interview may have reduced the amount of information potentially available. In this way, analysis of unseen non-verbal interaction may have added to research findings. Moreover, with the contextual impact of being filmed, there is the possibility reported answers reflected a level of social, even family, desirability. Considering all the limitations reviewed here, viewing the interpretation of the study as a continual process, it makes aware the need for further improvement and enhancement of research methods.
Word count:
2500
References
Cooper, T., Roth, I. (Eds). (2007). Challenging Psychological Issues (2nd ed.). Milton Keynes: The Open University.
Miell, D., Phoenix, A., & Thomas, K. (Eds). (2007). Mapping Psychology (2nd ed.). Milton Keynes: The Open University.
Stevens, R. (2007). Person psychology: psychoanalytic and humanistic perspectives. In D. Miell, A. Phoenix, & K. Thomas (Eds.), Mapping Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 171-221). Milton Keynes: The Open University.
DSE212 Course team. (2007). Exploring Psychological Research Methods. Milton Keynes: The Open University.
The Open University. (2011, 4th April). DVD Programme 4: 'Interviewing and thematic analysis', Section 4, interview with Assan (without line numbers). Retrieved from http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/resourcepage/view.php?id=422762&direct=1
The Open University. (2007). Interviewing and thematic analysis [DVD Programme 4, DVD00415]. Milton Keynes: The Open University.
Wood. C., Littleton, K. & Oates, J. (2007). Lifespan development. In T. Cooper, I. Roth, (Eds), Challenging Psychological Issues (2nd ed., pp.1-64). Milton Keynes: The Open University.
Appendices
Appendix 1:
Initial reflections on Assan interview
Assan begins sat fairly upright in posture with arms in lap, he starts talking about being a man growing up – not a boy? He describes the culturally significant roles family members play, particularly the fatherly role as a leader and head of the household. He describes closeness with his father and particularly describes being encouraged to question and understand through their sharing stories. Assan suggests the notion of his father’s strong work as his father travelled a lot seeing the family move. Assan appeared confident in his slow, considered diction with strong eye contact and projected himself using his hands in describing his father. However, towards the end of talking about his father he becomes flustered, seemeing to correct himself a lot.
Assan then goes on to discuss being in a large family of which he is the youngest. He talks about looking up to his elder brother who took on the role of head of the household when his father was away. He describes being protected and looked after by his brother at home and school and imitates him using an authoritative tone of voice suggesting they were close. However, Assan displays nervous laughter in describing how he was expected to be as good as his brother at school.
Assan moves on to talk about moving from place to place. He describes being the new boy in school where questioning, understanding peers reflected his good interpersonal skills learnt from his father. This transferred into his job as a journalist, however having to travel because of his job prevented him forming deep relationships and he describes an expectation of moving on. In this sense he suggests he is not sure of his own identity and cultural context but is confident in acknowledging it.
Assan then discusses a close relationship with his wife. He proposes he wants a family like the one he came from but his job is a significant obstacle. He suggests his wife wants a family and he wants to be like his father providing communication with children but doesn’t want to leave them or her. This suggests a protective, culturally significant role but conflicted by work ethic. This is reflected in lots of pauses and thought in his diction.
Another significant relationship for Assan is that with his boss who he looks up to as a role model. This relationship appears similar to his father’s supportive influence in encouraging for Assan to be himself. This belief in Assan sees his need to prove himself.
Throughout the interview, Assan is open in his communication using confident eye contact, hand gestures in his considered answers. For the most part his tone of voice, speed, loudness and intonation was constant. However, in some sections he appeared to stumble, pause and speed up in his speech. In particular, the speed and loss of direction at the end of talking about his father along with large pauses when talking about having a family.
Appendix 2:
Transcript with coding
DSE212 Exploring Psychology
DVD Programme 4: Interviewing and Thematic Analysis
Section 4: Interview: Assan
Key:
CS = cultural significance
CP = connections to people
MC = movement and change
RR = roles and responsibility
CT = communication ant trust
COMMENTARY: Assan is a thirty-five-year-old man who was born in the Yemen and grew up in the Middle East. His family came to Britain when he was fifteen years old, where he has lived since. He is the youngest of nine children, most of whom live in Yemen. Neither of his parents are alive. Assan is a journalist with an Arabic news agency. He is married with no children.
Interview with Assan
JULIA WILLERTON: Thank you for coming along today, Assan. As we discussed on the telephone, the focus of these research interviews is to look at the relationships that you’ve had with significant other people in the past. And also to look at how those relationships have shaped you in the current relationships that are in your life. Throughout the interview, if you feel uncomfortable at any time, then obviously we could stop the interview at that point and you’d be free at the end of the interview to say if you really didn’t want the material to be used and to withdraw from that.
ASSAN: Okay. I understand.
JULIA WILLERTON: Okay. Can you tell me something, Assan, about the significant relationships that you had when you were growing up?
ASSAN: The first would be my father, simply because the society that we come from we … a father is a very important figure, is head of the household, but within the house itself, you know, the mother is the dominant person, but you know, as a man growing up in Yemen where I was born, the father would be the first person that you would seek guidance from, he’d be your spiritual leader, everything, is very important CS. And my father was a man who travelled a lot, because of his job. He was a merchandiser RR, so we never stayed in one place for very long MC.
JULIA WILLERTON: Can you say a little more about how the relationship with your father perhaps influenced the later relationships that you’ve had?
ASSAN: My father was someone who always, because of his job RR, always encouraged us to mix with people and get to know other cultures as well CP. We come from a Muslim background but I had friends from all different backgrounds, different religions CS and my father always encouraged us to not be narrow-minded, to be open-minded, to question, to understand CT, to create a better relationship CP. And my father encouraged me to sit down and discuss and question, you know, what did I learn at school, so he could understand for himself, and then to encourage me to ask, ask these questions and to be open minded CT and to get a good idea of the world around us and the way other people might think and what they might feel CP. So these things are all, all part and parcel of growing up with a father who was open minded, allowed us to question and encourage us to question RR. I really valued that and enjoyed that relationship with him when he was still … when he was travelling and sharing his stories with us when he’d come back CT.
JULIA WILLERTON: Can you say a little more about your family and where you were in the context of the family?
ASSAN: I come from a large family compared to what you might consider here. There was nine of us, five brothers, four sisters and I’m the youngest CS. My brother was the eldest. He was a … in some respects similar to father figure in that he was quite a bit older than me, but he was someone who I looked up to RR because my father was sometime not there all the time MC, you know, sometimes my older brother would take up the role of the head of family within, within our, within our family. So we were always encouraged to give respect to my brother CS. But also I felt he was very supportive of me. I think he felt I was the youngest, he had to protect me, look after me. When I was at school he would make sure I would fit in RR. He would ask me who my friends are. He would say to me: who are these friends? And he would encourage me to make sure that I was with friends with … boys that he considered were good and from good families and that he knew of CT, and it was good to be in a classroom where the teacher obviously knew of him and they said: oh, your brother’s very good student, you must, he must … you will be like him too. And so sometimes I feel little pressured to be as good as my brother RR.
JULIA WILLERTON: You said that when you were growing up, Assan, that your family moved around quite a lot. Can you tell us a little bit more about that and sort of impact that had on you in the relationships that you had?
ASSAN: Yes. Because we move very much from place to place and country to country, I was very fast at making friends very quickly at school because I was constantly being the new, new boy in the classroom MC. So I … And because of how I was brought up to ask people questions to get to understand them RR, I asked questions very fast, you know, how, where are you from, what’s your background and why, why is it like this CT? So people could relate to me quickly, even though at first they might say who this is new person, we don’t trust CP. By me being myself and being open and asking them questions, they feel they get to know me and they feel that this person is not so bad after all CT. So this has helped me within my job as well because I’m a journalist RR, I have to travel a lot across the world and see MC, go to many different places and to make these contacts CP, even within my job you have to be a person who is open, ask questions, be inquisitive CT and to gain people’s trust to make them open CP. So I feel I have this because we move around so much and able to make relationships fast. The other side of this is that because I move so quickly, I mean move from place to place MC, is that I don’t have friendships that go very long time back, so not how you would say very deep friendship CT. Because simply we move on, you try to stay in contact, but obviously you move on, you have new people to meet and so it goes on and on MC. Sometimes the … Although I said I make friends very quickly, I have many, many friends all over the world CP. Because I am not there for a very long time CC, I don’t develop these big, deep understanding relationships. So sometimes I do feel that we are friendly but we are not completely … I understand or you understand where I’m coming from CT. Sometimes I feel really, with regards to myself, because I move around so much MC, I feel who is, where am I really from, what is my own, own background, where is home for me CS? So I sometimes feel sometimes maybe I … do I understand them, I question myself, do I really understand CT? I try, I try to be open and ask as much RR, but do I really have an understanding because I’m not from that culture or country. It’s not under skin, as they say CS.
JULIA WILLERTON: Can you say something, Assan, about the current relationships that are going on in your life?
ASSAN: Yes, I am married to a lady called Alya. We are very close. We do not have any children yet RR. This is something that we have been discussing about CT. I think I would like family. I came from a very big family, I have many brothers and sisters and so I feel one day I hope I’m able to have this with Alya CS. It’s just a question of my job RR, it’s a little difficult at present because it will be difficult for me to leave Alya with children because I would go away from home and this would be difficult for her MC, I think. And so I want to support her in this. I know she’s, she’s very keen to have children, start a family CT. I would like to but it’s difficult at present because of the job RR. I do have to leave UK quite a lot MC. I want to be a father who, who is there and supportive of my children and to give as much as like my father give RR, even though my father not there long time MC, he very, he spent very long time with children and with me, who discuss, ask me how I am, what I learn and wanting to know a lot about me CT. I hope one day I able to, I’m able to do this for my children RR.
JULIA WILLERTON: Would you like to say anything else about relationships that are important to you in your life at the moment, Assan?
ASSAN: Yes. Someone who I, who I quite look up to at present I would say is my boss, and he’s someone who has encouraged me a lot to try to do better in my job RR, to … and encourage my, he said my inquisitive nature, to encourage me to be like this more, but to go further, to really get under and understand CT, and this helped me to be better within my job and also better for him. But he, he’s someone who very much encouraged, encouraged me and be very supportive and give me encouragement to, to do my job RR. And always he say to me: you do very good job for me. I want you to go, go more, take more step, take more chance and bring me something that really you think you won’t be able to do. So I feel he’s someone who has belief in me and who wants to see me do better, but also encouraging but wants me to do better. So I push myself more for him CT. He is very good within all team, within my work for that, but he very good for me I think RR.
JULIA WILLERTON: Thanks very much for that, Assan, that was great. I’d just like to check, how did taking part in that interview feel for you?
ASSAN: I feel I enjoy speaking to you really. I think it make me reflect on me as a person, I feel I’m going to leave the room, having spoken to you, with I suppose things I never think about before. And I think I have more understanding of my own self. So it has been very interesting for me CT.
JULIA WILLERTON: I’d just like to reiterate that the interview’s going to be transcribed and, and the details will be changed so that you won’t be able to be identified from that, Assan. I’d like you to sign a consent form, simply to say that you understand, really, that the interview is going to be used for research purposes.
ASSAN: Okay.
JULIA WILLERTON: And thank you very much once again for taking part.
ASSAN: No, you are welcome.
[INTERVIEW ENDS]