The Sources of Meaning in Life Among Educators of Socially Vulnerable Adults

Abstract

Life work considered as a critical source of meaning in life. This can be particularly true for the educators who choose to work with and teach adults who belong to socially vulnerable groups. To this context, the aim of our study was to investigate the sources of meaning in life of educators of socially vulnerable groups, and the possible relation between the sources they derive meaning from and their decision to work with this specific kind of students. A total of 12 educators were interviewed providing information regarding their experience in working with socially vulnerable groups, their motives considering their professional choice, the way they perceive themselves as teachers of vulnerable adults and the sources of meaning in their lives. Thematic Analysis was used to analyze the data. It was found that the primary sources of meaning in life of the participants are (a) interpersonal and social relations, and (b) personal relationships; moreover, there is a close relation between the participants' sources of meaning in life and their perception about vulnerability.