Exploring the fruitful darkness of liminality: informal caring for elderly family members and the impact on the self

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between the informal carer and the cared for in the household. This was a phenomenological study, conducting in-depth interviews with a sample of informal carers in East Yorkshire. Findings indicated that some informal carers found the new role challenging and had an impact on their narrative identity which left them in a liminal position ‘twixt and between’ their previous identity and their new identity as carer. They lacked control over their lives, and the lack of professional support had a detrimental effect on their identity leading, on some occasions, to affect their mental health. This is a crucial issue in society today.

KEYWORDS:

• Consumer culture
• not for profit marketing
• identity
• liminality
• family

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dianne Dean

Rachel Trees is an Associate Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Hull. Her PhD focussed on elderly care and she has published her work in the European Journal of Marketing.

Rachel Trees

Dianne Dean is Professor of consumption values and practices at Sheffield Business School. Her work focusses on political marketing and persuasion, transformative consumer behaviour, particularly elderly care and marginalised groups. She has published in the Journal of Marketing Management, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research and has co–edited special editions for the Journal of Marketing Management and the Journal of Business Ethics.

Haseeb Shabbir

Dr Haseeb Shabbir is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Hull. Passionate about marketing ethics, transformative consumer behaviour, peace marketing and fundraising, his work has appeared in leading marketing journals including the Journal of Service Research, Journal of Advertising, Psychology & Marketing, European Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Business Ethics. He has co–edited special editions for the Journal of Marketing Management and the Journal of Business Ethics.