노인이 인지하는 자존감의 의미

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the self-esteem in the elderly who had done social activities. Methods: Data were collected by in-depth interview during November 2008 and were analyzed by phenomenological method by Giorgi. Participants were six elderly people over 65 years old who had attended the elders college or had volunteered at hospitals. Results: As the results of analysis, five components of the meaning of self-esteem were derived as follows; ‘my childrens success is my success’, ‘having economic strength enough to give arms’, ‘keeping up with the times’, ‘recognition and respect of the surrounding people’, and ‘loving myself’. Conclusion: It is necessary to maintain and improve self-esteem of the elderly, for this it is important to participate in various activities and encourage them to have value of self existence.