• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.429-437
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• 2020

This study aimed to explore the ways that personal dignity of people with dementia would be maintained in their everyday experiences. To achieve the aim, this study reviewed existing qualitative studies conducted with people with dementia as individuals or couples. This study found the followings: First, capacities and power of people with dementia were embodied in their bodies and found in their behaviors, nonverbal communications, and performances of social roles as forms of interaffectivity. Second, as a subcategories of personal identity, dignity of identity of people with dementia was maintained based on their sense of self, personhood, and couplehood. Finally, for personal dignity of people with dementia, it might be important to practice their embodied capacities and power and to construct and manage the context of interdependence and relatedness through interaffectivity to maintain thier sense of self, personhood, and couplehood. Human dignity based on independence and individuality could be reconsidered in the context of interdepedence and relatedness.