Stifled Voices of My Ancestors: Armenian Orphans Then and Now

Abstract

This study explores how the mother, orphan, and abandoned child archetypes interact within the psyches of individuals who have lived in Armenian orphanages. The orphanage as a container or community consists of children who either have lost one or both parents through death or are left behind by one or both parents who do not have the resources to take care of them. The research data for this study was collected using a phenomenological approach consisting of interviews with graduates, 18 years of age and older, from multiple orphanages in Armenia. This dissertation explores how the caretaker’s work contained within the walls of the orphanage affects the emotional and spiritual life of the orphan and the abandoned child. The phenomenological approach for this study is supported by Jungian psychology as the primary hermeneutic and includes the perspectives of attachment theory. The emphasis on the mother-child relationship found within these theories is particularly important to this study. The findings of this study indicate that the relationship between the caretakers and the orphans, combined with the orphans’ determination and resilience, helps orphans develop their personality, self-worth, and ability to form healthy relationships.