Social Dimensions of Grief

Vera, María Irene

doi:10.4135/9781412914291.n83

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…It is also a story about families, how we define family and how we communicate in families about bereavement and the grief, or reactions that follow a loss. Grief is generally investigated and understood as an individual cognitive process, yet scholars in other fields of study investigate the ways in which grief and mourning are social and take place in conversation with others [1]. With this in mind, I use my own story to process this death, and to examine and understand communication with family about grief.…”

Section: Background and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Death of an Ex-Spouse: Lessons in Family Communication about Disenfranchised Grief

Tullis

2017

Behavioral Sciences

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The death of a loved one is an emotional-laden experience, and while grief and mourning rituals are less formal today in many communities, there remain some social norms for individuals to process loss. The death of an ex-family member, such as a former spouse, is more complicated and expectations for how to respond are fraught with uncertainty. While grief has been studied and is primarily understood as an individual cognitive process, scholars in sociology and communication are considering the ways in which grief and mourning are social and take place in dialogue with others. This manuscript explores Kenneth Doka’s concept of disenfranchised grief, which is “grief that is experienced when loss cannot be openly acknowledged, socially sanctioned, or publicly mourned” through the author’s experience of the death of her ex-husband. The narrative will recount how the author learned about her ex-husband’s death (via text message), and will challenge definitions of family and family communication about death and grief, particularly the communication strategies used to cope with this unique type of loss.

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Section: Background and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Death of an Ex-Spouse: Lessons in Family Communication about Disenfranchised Grief

Tullis

2017

Behavioral Sciences

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“…latter includes: gender, age, and the circumstance of death; type of relationship with the deceased; social support; and public expression of grief (Vera, 2003). In order to make the reader connect these discrete variables to my own biographical context, it may be mentioned that this narrative has to do with spousal loss for a Hindu working woman in her middle years of life.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spiritual Interventions in Grief Resolution: A Personal Narrative

Chatterjee

2007

Illness, Crisis & Loss

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This article is a personal narrative of grief and bereavement following the sudden, unexpected death of the author's husband. The author identifies the complex array of emotions that she underwent, which transposed her into a world where survival lost its purpose, and the world its coherence. The different components of Hindu understanding and the practice of spirituality which helped her to address these emotional issues and resolve her grief are discussed. In addition, the article tries to chart out the actual process of the awakening of the spiritual orientation which gave her a new meaning and purpose in life.

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