Change and stability on identity and family self indicators,
first studied in 1989, are documented among 54 women aged
47.26 (SD=8.44) years; 26 of these women were interviewed
in 1997 as well. The present study examined daughters'
perceptions of relationships with parents and their
influences on women's identities, self-perceptions, and
vulnerabilities to distress.
Categorizing women by parents' alcoholism status and
respondents' concurrent therapeutic activities explained
a modest proportion of variance on identity and family
self in 1989. By 1997 there were no longer significant
differences between alcoholics' daughters and
nonalcoholics' daughters. Variance attributable to 1989
group categorization was considerably reduced.
Phenomenological themes revealed among daughters'
reflections included the importance of parents' time
and attention with striking differences on relating with
parents in alcoholics' families and nonalcoholics'
families. Essential features of perspective taking
experiences explain similarities and differences in
daughters' felt closeness to parents influencing women's
identities, self-perceptions, and therapeutic activities.
Incongruity between sociocultural ideals and lived
experience evidently exacerbate women's existential
struggles.
