Give Sorrow Words: The Meaning of Parental Bereavement

A fundamental tenet of hermeneutic phenomenology is that people seek to create meaning of their experience from the response sited within human consciousness. The focus of this study is on the world of the lived experience as it is interpreted by participants through memory and language as accessed by interviews in order to produce an understanding of the participants’ experience. Three participants were interviewed whose adult children had died as a result of an AIDS-related illness. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and interwoven analyses sought to illustrate the participants’ lived experience of the phenomenon. An attempt was made to understand how the various phenomena relating to parental bereavement were reflected by participants in the interviews. Common themes included reactions to the knowledge of the illness, the experience of being with their dying child, coping with the pain of the loss, and spiritual and existential concerns. There are references to how others judge their grieving behaviour. Issues of retribution and punishment are prominent and these appear to place a particular burden of sorrow on the grieving parent. The study provided insight into the lived experience of bereavement and the forging of new meaning structures that can accommodate the loss. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, Volume 5, Edition 2 December 200

Give sorrow words: the meaning of parental bereavement

D.Litt. et Phil.This study explores the process of meaning-making for parents who have lost an adult child where the cause of death was a stigmatised illness. In order to shed light on the phenomenon under review, an investigation of existing research literature was undertaken. A particular focal point in respect of the review as a whole, is the exploration of how the experience of parental bereavement motivates the search for meaning and the possible significance of this meaning in the continued life of the bereaved parent. The review comprises an overview of theoretical approaches to bereavement and the various factors which determine the grief experience. These include an examination of factors surrounding the loss, personal factors and coping skills, as well as an outline of familial, cultural and social aspects. A further focus of the review, is on the process of meaning making especially with regard to death and suffering. The review explores the issues of stigma and the process of stigmatisation. How stigma attaches to an attribute and issues of disclosure are areas of focus, in particular the effect of stigma in respect of HIV/AIDS. The focus of the study is on the world of the lived experienced as it is interpreted by participants in order to produce an understanding of the participants’ experience. Hence the study is sited within a phenomenological framework. Six participants were interviewed with the intention to act as informants who are able to give rich and abundant descriptions of their experience. All participants have experienced the loss of an adult offspring as a result of a long-term illness. The children of three of the participants died as a result of an AIDS-related illness, which is currently a stigmatised illness in South Africa, and the children of three participants have died as a result of cancer, which is a long-term terminal illness which is not currently stigmatised in South Africa. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. An interwoven analysis was presented in order to identify the themes and experiences of such bereavement which emerged from the transcripts. An attempt was made to understand how the various phenomena relating to parental bereavement were reflected by participants in the interviews. The study also sought to compare areas of commonality and divergence between participants whose children have died from cancer and those who have died as a result of AIDS, so as to present an integrated delineation of themes. Finally the study presents a reflection of the experience of the researcher and recommendations for therapeutic practice which arise from the conclusions of the study. There is an evaluation as regards the strengths and limitations of the study and recommendations for future research. The unique contribution of the study to the field of psychology is also addressed

The meaning of parental bereavement

M.A.An investigation of existing research literature was undertaken to explore the experience of bereavement of parents whose child has died. The review comprises an overview of theoretical approaches to bereavement and the various factors which determine the grief experience. These include an examination of factors surrounding the loss, personal factors and coping skills, as well as an outline of familial, cultural and social aspects. A further focus of the review, is on the process of meaning making in the aftermath of a traumatic event, such as parental bereavement following on the loss of offspring. A particular focal point in this respect is the exploration of how the experience of parental bereavement motivates the search for meaning and the possible significance of this meaning in the continued life of the bereaved parent