Soc- a qualitative analysis

Sense of coherence (SOC), as defined by Antonovsky, is the movement of each of us on a

personal continuum of ease and dis-ease (Antonovsky, 1993b). Antonovsky (1987) referred
to SOC as the ability to comprehend a situation, and use resources (personal and
environmental ) available to us, in order to cope with it. He thought of this ablity as a
complex capacity comprised of peoples’ ability to assess and understand the situation they
experience, find a meaning to move in a positive and promoting direction, and do it.
Antonovsky (1987) described SOC as comprised of : comprehensibility, meaningfulness,
and manageability (Lindstrom & Eriksson, 2005). SOC is an individual property
(Antonovsky ,1979) that was later widened (Antonovsky, 1987). Research shows that SOC
can also be applied to organizations (Bauer & Jenny, 2012; Forbech & Hanson, 2013) and
communities (Peled et al., 2012).

Originally, SOC was meant to describe and present salutogenesis, focusing on health and on
people’s resources. Nowadays, salutogenesis is seen as an umbrella concept with different
theories and concepts that have salutogenic elements and dimensions (Lindstrom &
Eriksson, 2010). Research focuses on individual resources, groups, and communities. A
strong Sense of Coherence has been related to the availability to a wide and varied
repertoire of coping strategies and to flexibility in selecting the particular coping strategy
that seems most appropriate at certain times and environmental conditions (Idan et al.,
2013).

SOC is traditionally measured by a quantitative questionnaire Antonovsky (1987). Originally,

the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, consists of 29 items, 11 items measuring
comprehensibility, 10 items measuring manageability, and 8 items measuring
meaningfulness. The questionnaire is a summed index with a total score ranging from 29 to
203 points for the original scale of 29 questions (SOC-29). A shorter version of 13 questions
(SOC-13) of the original form was developed by Antonovsky (1987), where the score ranges
between 13 and 91 points. Antonovsky intended to score the SOC with a single total score ,
since he theorized that it was the whole SOC that influenced movement along the ease/dis-
ease continuum, and not a single component of it.

SOC questionnaire refers to the way a person understands and manages situations, such as:
" When you talk to people, do you have a feeling that they don’t understand you?" (from
‘never have this feeling’ to ‘always have this feeling’). The questionnaire items do not refer
to a specific situation, such as illness, loss, war, but focuses on "broad" issues, such as
"When something unpleasant happened". This characteristic made the concept universal,
enabling research in a wide range of individuals, different countries (and cultures) and
various situations.

Although social science research strives towards generalizability, and SOC follows this
tendency, it can gain more meaning by adding qualitative descriptions that deepen, enriches
and add details related to situations, making the concept more "transparent" by
demonstrating SOC components and the way they act in the SOC process . The qualitative
part can be linked to the quantitative part using content analysis of a particular situation
that is relevant to SOC. The analysis can refer to a situation or can follow a description of the
situation.
In addition a description and analysis of a personal situation can describe coping with a stressful
situation .The analysis can be based on documents such as interviews, narratives diaries, letters ,
or paintings , pictures , movies etc. – materials that suits qualitative and mixed content analysis
(Domas White & Marsh, 2006; Krippendorff, 2004,2019 ), and complement the questionnaire.
Although researchers in content analysis refer mainly to texts analysis, Krippendorff (2019)
expands this definitions by adding a third kind " analyzing a text relative to a particular
context" (p.25), and "other meaningful matter" (p.24) meaning that a particular context
such as a picture or a movie , can be explained or mediated by a text, enabling the analyzer
to decide about the characteristics of "meaningful matter".

The main problem is to find a way to "connect" an quantitative SOC score to a content
analysis result of the same individual . This may create a new assessment of SOC, one that
presents general and particular score of SOC . This assessment may also answer the
question " Is SOC unchanged /stab le?"

Method+

Qualitative content analysis

Content analysis is a method used in quantitative and qualitative research. Mayring (2014)
defines Qualitative Content Analysis as a mixed methods approach (containing qualitative
and quantitative steps of analysis) advocating common research criteria for both kinds of
research. The American Educational Research Association AERA (2006) formulated standards
for reporting on empirical social science research, especially for qualitative projects: clear
description of procedures, presentation of evidence, reasoning of interpretations and critical
verification, without defining procedures. Since the SOC concept has a detailed description
standards for qualitative content analysis can be formulated.

The basic three components of SOC, according to Antonovsky (1987), were:

comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. Each component is explained in
detail (Mittelmark et al., 2017) , has sub elements, enabling researchers to perform content
analysis that is "theory driven" (deductive) , which can be related later to the quantitative
questionnaire. The following (short) descriptions presents the SOC components and sub-
components as a map for qualitative content analysis aimed to assess SOC in individuals and
groups/communities.

Personal SOC (Eriksson & Mittelmark, 2017)

Comprehensibility, the cognitive dimension, refers to the extent to which one perceives
internal and external stimuli as rationally understandable, and as information that is orderly,
coherent, clear, structured rather than chaotic, disordered, random, unexpected, and
unexplained (Antonovsky, 1991, p. 39). The ability to create structure out of chaos makes it
easier for us to understand one’s context and one’s own part in it, for example, one’s role in
the family or in the workplace. A prerequisite to be able to cope with a stressful situation is
that one can to some extent understand it. What one comprehends is easier to manage.

Manageability, the instrumental or behavioral dimension, defined as the degree to which

one feels that there are resources at one’s disposal that can be used to meet the
requirements of the stimuli one is bombarded by (Antonovsky, 1991, p. 40). Formal
resources include, for example, social services and care staff in public and private
organizations. Informal resources include, for example, family, circle of friends, colleagues,
and significant others; meaning , people who are trusted and who can be relied on difficult
situations. Coping also requires that one is motivated to solve the problems that cause
stress, is willing to invest energy to solve the problem, and finds meaning in being able to
manage the situation. This leads to the third dimension of the sense of coherence,
meaningfulness.

Meaningfulness, the motivational dimension, refers to the extent to which one feels that life
has an emotional meaning, that at least some of the problems faced in life a face are worth
commitment and dedication, and are seen as challenges rather than only as burdens
(Antonovsky, 1991, p. 41). One needs to have a clear desire to resolve difficulties, and
willingness to invest energy to get through experiences of stress that have the potential to
cause distress.

Group/ community SOC

According to Braun-Lewensohn & Sagy, (2011, p. 535):

Comprehensibility is perceived as a safe, secure, understood and predictable environment.

Manageability is a state in which the individual experiences support in emergencies or in

critical situations. Societal support includes, programs to support mental health and create
conditions so that people can meet and share experiences.

Meaningfulness refers to supporting people and help them experience fulfillment, develop
their abilities, and feel satisfaction.

There are several models of content analysis, all focusing on answering research questions
while considering transformations that the initial foreshadowing questions may have
undergone during the coding or any new questions or themes that emerge during the
coding. The goal is to depict the “big picture” of a given subject, displaying conceptual depth
through thoughtful arrangement of detailed descriptions (White & Marsh, 2006, p.39; Hsieh
and Shannon 2005; Elo and Kyngäs ,2008; Mayring , 2014; Krippendorff, 2004; 2019).

Krippendorff (2004, p. 87), proposes four steps in content analysis: [1] sample text-selecting
what is relevant; [2] unitize text-distinguishing words or propositions and using quotes or
examples; [3] contextualize the text in light of what is known about the circumstances
surrounding it; and [4] have specific research questions in mind.

References

American Educational Research Association AERA (Eds.). (2006). Standards for reporting on
empirical social science reports in AERA publications. Educational Researcher, 35, 33-40.

Braun-Lewensohn, O., & Sagy, S. (2011). Salutogenesis and culture: Personal and community
sense of coherence among adolescents belonging to three different cultural groups.
International Review of Psychiatry, 23(6), 533–541.
Domas White, M., and Marsh, E.E. (2006). Content Analysis: A Flexible Methodology .
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Baker), pp. 22–45.

Elo S and Kyngäs H. (2008) The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of advanced
nursing 62 (1): 107-115.

Eriksson, M. & Mittelmark, M.B. (2017). The Sense of Coherence and Its Measurement. In:
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Hsieh H-F and Shannon SE. (2005) Three approaches to qualitative content analysis.
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Mayring P. (2014) Qualitative content analysis: theoretical foundation, basic procedures and
software solution [Monograph]: Klagenfurt. Retrieved May 10, 2015, from http://nbn-
resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-395173

M.B. Mittelmark et al. (eds.), The Handbook of Salutogenesis,

Peled, D., Sagy, S., & Braun-Lewensohn, O. (2012). Community perceptions as a coping
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