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Adult Education Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2, 65-84 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/074171369804800203

The Centrality of Meaning-Making in Transformational Learning: How HIV-Positive Adults Make Sense of their Lives

Bradley C. Courtenay

University of Georgia.

Sharan B. Merriam

University of Georgia.

Patricia M. Reeves

University of Georgia.

At the heart of transformational learning is meaning-making—the act of "making sense" of an experience. A review of the literature on adult and transformational learning, adult development, and counseling revealed that there are few detailed descriptions of the process of meaning-making. The purpose of this study was to understand how meaning is constructed in the lives of those diagnosed as HIV-positive. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of 18 HIV-positive men and women. Using the constant comparative method, an inductive analysis of the data revealed a process for meaning-making that involves a period of initial reaction to the diagnosis, a catalytic experience that sets into motion the meaning-making process, and three distinct yet interrelated phases of reflection and activity. The findings not only provide a clearly delineated description of the meaning-making process, they also reveal unique contributions that underscore the centrality of meaning-making in transformational learning.


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