Women in transition: A study on the self-concept of single women in three stages of adulthood

• Main Authors: Magsino, Ma. Teresa M., Tiulentino, Joanne C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1983
• Subjects: Self-perception, Single women > Psychology; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/4224
• Institution: De La Salle University

The purpose of this study is to determine the self-concept of unmarried women in the three stages of adulthood and also to see the differences, if any, in their self-concept level with respect to the variables used namely age, place of residence and employment status. The researchers see the great importance in understanding these unmarried women's self-concepts since people often have misconceptions of them. With this study, the researchers attempted to describe the self-concept of the unmarried women in the three stages of adulthood.";"The study involved 95 respondents, 40 belonging to the young group, 35 belonging to the middle group and 20 belonging to the old group. Furthermore, 49 respondents came from the urban area and 46 respondents came from the rural area. Sixty are working and 35 are non-working. Purposive as well as snow-ball sampling procedures were employed so as to meet the requirements of this study. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) was administered to the respondents. In the analysis of data, the mean and percentage were arrived at to determine their self-concept level using the test norms. The general findings showed that single women, regardless of age, place of residence and employment status have a high self-concept--indicative of a positive perception of themselves. They described themselves as happy, of personal worth, responsive to the needs of her immediate family and friends, as sociable, not insecure about their physical looks and acted accordingly. However, the old single women view themselves as less satisfied and less open to criticism. Nevertheless, all of them considered themselves as not being too involved with religion and certain moral issues. With reference to their place of residence, the rural single group regarded their social relationships to others higher than the urban group. The rural group also feel that they are more satisfied with themselves than the urban group. Meanwhile, with respect to their employment status, the working single women tend to be more self-satisfied than the non-working group. However, the same group claimed that they have a weak sense of moral worth than the non-working group. In view of this study, the researchers may say that the self-concept of unmarried women in the three stages of adulthood have high self-concepts, however, there is a slight modification in some items as they approach old age. Hence, their self-concepts indicate positive self-concepts which show that they do not view themselves as what had been stereotyped with singlehood. Thus, this study concludes that unmarried women of today have learned to accept their singleness. This state per se does not make them less happy than their married counterpart."