Problem:
Rather than viewing Ray's development primarily through age-based stages or resilience alone, Meaning-Making Theory offers a unique and deeper lens for understanding his life, particularly in later adulthood. Meaning-Making Theory posits that individuals are motivated to reconcile stressful or traumatic experiences with their broader belief systems, identity, and sense of purpose (Park, 2010). This theory seemed more applicable because Ray's life seems less about resolving stages and more about how individuals interpret, integrate, and live with suffering over time.
Throughout Ray's life, repeated losses disrupted his global meaning system (his beliefs about stability, fairness, and personal worth). While Ray fulfilled the socially expected adult roles of worker, husband, and father, his later reflection that he "gave his life away to a job" (Walden University LLC, 2021) reveals a gap between survival and purpose. This tension becomes most visible after his forced retirement due to physical decline, when his occupational identity and bodily competence, central sources of meaning, were lost.
In later adulthood, Ray begins a process of meaning reconstruction rather than recovery. His return to woodworking reconnects him to an earlier, affirming identity rooted in creativity and mentorship. His engagement with grandchildren provides symbolic continuity, allowing Ray to contribute to future generations even as his physical and cognitive abilities decline. Reengagement with Catholic faith and church community offers existential coherence, ritual, and belonging, especially as dementia progresses and abstract reasoning diminishes. While Erikson's concept of ego integrity can support this interpretation, Meaning-Making Theory explains how Ray maintains dignity and purpose despite unresolved losses, disability, and cognitive decline. Meaning, for Ray, is not achieved through accomplishment or mastery, but through connection, presence, and legacy.
Briefly explain whether you agree with the application to Ray's case in the above article and whether you would apply the theory to your social work practice. Provide support for your position. Make sure to provide APA citations and a reference list. Need Assignment Help?