Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Family Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
2
Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Isfahan University, Tehran, Iran
3
Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Olum va Tahghighat University, Tehran, Iran
4
Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
5
Associate Professor Associate Professor, Counseling Department, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
10.22054/jep.2026.91602.4362
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop a model explaining adolescents’ meaning-making based on family mechanisms. Considering the importance of adolescence in shaping individual and social identity, the research sought to provide a comprehensive model of meaning-making processes. This study employed a qualitative approach using grounded theory according to Strauss and Corbin’s method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 adolescents aged 15 to 18, including 12 boys and 10 girls. Purposeful sampling was applied to cover diverse family and social experiences, and data analysis was conducted in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. The findings revealed that the extracted axial codes included family meaning-making processes, family meaning-making context, cultural–social meaning-making context, internal capacities for sustaining meaning, transformation of family interactions, erosion of family value–cultural systems, semantic erosion and inner stagnation of adolescents, environmental–social pressures, inner reconstruction of meaning, family meaning-oriented processes, social and cultural meaning-oriented connections, individual outcomes of meaning-making, family outcomes of meaning-making, and cultural–social outcomes of meaning-making. These categories together outlined a model showing that adolescent meaning-making is a dynamic and multilayered process influenced by family mechanisms, cultural–social contexts, and internal capacities. The overall conclusion indicates that the family serves as the primary context for adolescent meaning-making, and attention to family mechanisms can provide effective strategies for enhancing psychological well-being, identity coherence, and social capital among youth.
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