日漸親近—中年夫妻情感親密經驗探究

Abstract

本研究之目的在於深入了解中年夫妻在其長期婚姻生活經驗中面對不同階段的生命處境與變動，是如何知覺彼此情感的流動與變化，如何體悟彼此關係中的情感親密。研究者以自身之婚姻生活經驗為起點，基於關係由雙方互動而建構，故邀請夫妻對偶成為本研究之參與者。選擇質性典範中之詮釋現象學為研究方法論，採用半結構式的深度訪談，從五個「孩子已經陸續離家求學或工作」的家庭中，蒐集夫妻情感經驗相關之文本資料共十五份，輔以研究者之研究省思札記，以開放而互為主體的尊重態度，找尋經驗背後意義的組型，進而詮釋其深層意義。 本研究經由主題分析，以及參與者互為主體的同意後，提出下列四個共同主題以詮釋日漸親近之中年夫妻情感親密經驗：（1）婚姻原來不簡單，同為支柱展親密；（2）迎接生命之秋，重覓倆人時光；（3）餘裕寬容中年親密，蘊藉沉潛平淡回甘；以及（4）揚帆共渡人生風景，禮物豐厚平淡回甘。此外，再以「搖鬆生命鎖鍊，在少中說足夠」、「洞悉生命本質，在死中說把握」及「時空延展重新看見，在回中說我願意」來描繪中年生命處境與中年夫妻獨特的情感親密質地。

The purpose of this study was to explore how middle-aged couples perceive the change of the affectional intimacy in their relationship after going through various life stages in long-term marriage life experience. Using the very own marriage life experience as a starting point, the researcher invited couples as research participants for relationship was developed in interactions. Hermeneutic phenomenology of qualitative paradigm was selected as the research methodology. 15 copies of text regarding affectional experience among couples were gathered from semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted in five Launching-center families. With an open, intersubjective, and respecting attitude and the support of researcher’s reflection journal, the data gathered were analyzed to explore the models beyond the experience to further interpret deeper meaning. After the conduction of thematic analysis and the intersubjective agreement from participants, the following four common themes were proposed to interpret the getting-closer affectional intimacy experience of middle-aged couples. 1. Marriage is not easy and the affectional intimacy comes from mutual support. 2. Walking toward middle age; switching the focus back to each other. 3. The taste of middle-aged affectional intimacy is like water, simple, plain, yet with a lasting sweet finish. 4. The key to successfully sail this voyage of life lies in the ability of the couple to bring out countless devotions for their spouse as time goes by. Lastly, “unchaining the shackle of life and feeling content with decreased desires”, “having the insight of life and knowing how to cherish as walking toward death”, and “committing to each other again as time goes by” were used to portray the middle-aged life situation and their unique affectional intimacy experience.