Exploring parents’ experiences of loneliness in and through arts engagement : activities’ impact from the viewpoint of single parents as arts experiencers and arts creators
Miklau, Nikolas (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202602092477
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202602092477
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This master thesis explores single parents’ experiences of loneliness through arts engagement and creative approaches. The research aims to find out whether there is a connection between arts engagement and the experience of loneliness. The conceptual framework for this study is built around the attachment theory and conceptualisation related to connection with others, individual’s well-being and meaningfulness in life.
This study is based on an empirical, qualitative research grounding on a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach focusing on individuals’ lived experiences. The research question for this study is: How does involvement in the arts contribute to single parents' experiences of loneliness? This research was implemented in co-operation with the non-academic stakeholder, Pienperheyhdistys ry. The data generation consisted of an online questionnaire and face-to face and online interviews. Interviews were semi-structured and supported by the River journey, a creative approach to invite the participants to share their story in a narrative way.
The findings expose four themes of how involvement in the arts contributes to the experience with loneliness: 1. Arts engagement as a preventive approach 2. Involvement with the arts in the moment of the experience of loneliness 3. Arts engagement after the experience of loneliness and 4. Scepticism and unconscious effects of arts engagement. Based on the findings it can be concluded in general, art involvement affects positively on one’s well-being. Though, there are individual variations that must be considered. The findings suggest further research on individuals’ and different marginalised groups’ experiences of loneliness in combination with arts involvement.
This study is based on an empirical, qualitative research grounding on a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach focusing on individuals’ lived experiences. The research question for this study is: How does involvement in the arts contribute to single parents' experiences of loneliness? This research was implemented in co-operation with the non-academic stakeholder, Pienperheyhdistys ry. The data generation consisted of an online questionnaire and face-to face and online interviews. Interviews were semi-structured and supported by the River journey, a creative approach to invite the participants to share their story in a narrative way.
The findings expose four themes of how involvement in the arts contributes to the experience with loneliness: 1. Arts engagement as a preventive approach 2. Involvement with the arts in the moment of the experience of loneliness 3. Arts engagement after the experience of loneliness and 4. Scepticism and unconscious effects of arts engagement. Based on the findings it can be concluded in general, art involvement affects positively on one’s well-being. Though, there are individual variations that must be considered. The findings suggest further research on individuals’ and different marginalised groups’ experiences of loneliness in combination with arts involvement.