Interpersonal relations

Continual and/or repetitive informal caring and the part childhood, developmental and socially constructed identity play roles in adult informal care, form the background to the questions of why individuals gravitate toward such relationships and why they often continue to care in the face of overwhelming obstacles. A synthesis of the literature is presented, leading to personal histories as a method of discovery. The Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method’s minimalist interview technique is put forth as the key data-gathering event.

Purpose/Objectives: To describe the dynamics of commitment, expectations, and negotiation from the perspective of caregivers of patients undergoing blood and marrow transplantation (BMT).

Research Approach: Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative methodology. Setting: Comprehensive cancer center in a major southern U.S. city. Participants: 40 caregivers of patients undergoing BMT.

A common theme in the literature on care-giving is the issue of ‘hidden’ carers, that is, people who undertake caring roles and responsibilities, yet do not identify themselves as carers. One reason people do not recognise themselves as carers relates to the nature of the caring relationship. When providing care for a family member, intra-familial bonds of love and reciprocity do not encourage parties to view the relationship as anything other than a ‘normal’ familial relationship.