Calling in childrearing: Promoting meaningful, purposeful living in family life

Abstract

Meaning in life is a powerful predictor of both motivation and wellbeing. Perhaps no other motivating force is greater than to possess a calling and believe that one is destined to fulfil a specific life role, regardless of sacrifice, with an attitude that in doing so, his or her effort will make a meaningful contribution to the greater good. This chapter describes a series of studies investigating calling in childrearing, a previously unexplored domain of calling. In a series of four studies utilising qualitative and quantitative methods, the applicability and the function of calling will be described. Over 800 participants contributed data that led to the development of a three-factor, 11-..