ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This study, through narrative inquiry, explored the emotional experiences of career-interrupted women during their career re-entry process and indentified the career constructivist meanings embedded in those experiences. The research puzzles are as follows: First, what stories do career-interrupted women tell regarding their emotional experiences during career re-entry? Second, what significance do these emotional narratives hold from a career constructionist perspective? For this purpose, the study explored their emotional experiences through narratives spanning from “The rcareer interruption” to “The re-entry process and adaptation,” while also investigating their “life stories” to gain a deeper understanding of the participants′ emotional narratives. Futhermore, the career constructionist meanings of these emotional experiences were identified. The results of the study are as follows: <Strangeness: The first steps on the Path of Motherhood>, <Loss: The Loss of Identity and Agency>, <A succession of hesitation and doubt: The path to regaining lost identity and Agency>, and <The Meaning of Work: Recovery of Presence and Women's Agency>. The findings reveal that career-interrupted women re-construct their self-identity through re-entry and regain their sense of presence through the meaning of work, emphasizing the critical need for emotional and relational support. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of therapeutic interventions and practical policy support to overcome the systemic and emotional barriers faced during re-entry. This research is significant in providing a foundational framework for understanding the lived experiences of career-interrupted women and informing future academic and policy discussions.

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