Exploring Meaning-Making Among University Students in South Africa During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Abstract

AbstractStudies have proven that meaning-making in times of crisis serves as a buffer against negative experiences. What is unknown is the extent to which—in the unfamiliar context of a pandemic—meaning-making might have fostered the psychological wellbeing of South African University students during a critical period of emerging adulthood. To address this question, a purposive sample of 40 University students (Mean age = 23; males = 14; females = 25; non-binary = 1) was selected across two Universities in South Africa. Findings that emerged from thematic analysis revealed themes such as the re-emergence of value systems, renewed sense of connectedness, self-extension or otherness, acquisition of new skills and accomplishments, and inner strength and growth. The themes demonstrate broadly the role of interconnectedness in the meaning-making process, in terms of ordinary interactions or the desire for generativity. We also emphasise intrapersonal connectedness that allows for self-care, introspection, and self-development within the limits possible, thereby enabling and empowering the individual who is caught in the middle of a pandemic that is inherently disempowering. Wellbeing practice and research among African students can focus on encouraging these meaning-making pathways, as recovery from the pandemic is still on-going and affects different domains of life.KeywordsMeaning-makingCOVID-19Emerging adultsUniversity studentsSouth Africa