Sense-Making and Spirituality: Single Filipinas’ Lived Experiences of Meaning in Life

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis as the qualitative research framework, this study explored the lived experiences of meaning in life among single Filipino women in their thirties. Data were collected from six always single, heterosexual Filipino women aged 32–38 through multiple in-person interviews. Five superordinate themes were extracted from the complete dataset, namely advocating for the self, caring for others, finding opportunities in singlehood, making sense of life’s challenges, and incorporating spirituality. This paper discusses the last two themes to present a qualitative analysis of the specific ways that making sense of life’s challenges and spirituality contributed to the experience of meaning in life and well-being among single Filipino women in a sociocultural context where they are perceived to be disadvantaged. The results suggest the potential of spirituality as a means for coping and as a meaning framework that can be utilized as a source of positive re-interpretations of negative events and meaningful goals, and as a guide for behaviors that align better with people’s view of themselves and the world. The contributions, limitations, and recommendations will also be discussed.