''Fret No More My Child… for I'm All Over Heaven All Day'': Religious Beliefs in the Bereavement of African American, Middle-Aged Daughters Coping With the Death of an Elderly Mother

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which religious beliefs of 30 African American, middle-aged daughters help them cope with the death of their elderly mothers. This qualitative, exploratory study found that daughters use their beliefs to move through states of grief that allow them to prepare, relinquish control, accept death, and maintain a connection to their mothers beyond death. Important themes identified in this study include the belief in an after life and the reunification of family members there. Findings suggest that religious beliefs provide a means for adult daughters to cope with the tasks of living in the present yet maintain a tie with their deceased mothers that serves to enhance their religious beliefs and fortitude in daily living.

African Americans in Bereavement: Grief as a Function of Ethnicity

“…Contrary to traditional grief models that suggest that relinquishing bonds with the deceased enables the bereaved to "move on" (e.g., Bowlby, 1973;Freud, 1957), recent research suggests that when construed within a religious framework, an ongoing relationship with the deceased may be a functional rather than a pathological reaction. In a qualitative study of 30 middle-aged African-American daughters coping with the death of their mothers, Smith (2002) found that religion not only provided a means for understanding and accepting loss but also allowed for a transformed, enduring connection to the deceased. Recruiting a much larger sample and using quantitative methods, it is an aim of this study to expand on Smith's findings and explore whether a continued bond with the deceased is indeed more prevalent in an African-American population.…”

Funeral Practices in Ghana and the United States: A Cultural Comparison

“…It is hypothesized by Laurie and Niemer that bereaved African-Americans will be less likely to seek professional help and more likely to seek informal support from their own community, than other groups, such as European Americans (Laurie and Niemer, 2008). Several authors mention the accepting attitude that many African-Americans have toward death; they view it as a natural part of life and as a transition into the next life (Barrett & Heller, 2002;Clements et al, 2003;Smith, 2002). As we have noted, African-Americans recognize the concept of a good death in the passing of someone at an advanced age or someone whose death is a release from struggle.…”

“…These additions reflect the mind-body-environmental connections that have received greater attention in recent years. (Laurie and Neimer, 2008;Smith, 2002).…”

Spiritual Counseling for Bereaved Parents

“…In addition, religion affords a powerful way of addressing and providing answers to the existential questions that arise in the face of death (Batson & Stocks, 2004). Religious explanations enable people to make sense of death, cope with loss, and find new meanings (McIntosh et al, 1993;Smith, 2002).…”

“…According to this approach, a one must disconnect himself from the deceased in order to regain functionality and to relate to other people (Person, 2009;Smith, 2002). In Kübler-Ross's model, the bereaved goes through five stages: (i) rejection, (ii) anger, (iii) bargaining, (iv) depression, and (v) acceptance.…”