Grief, photography and meaning making: A psychological constructivist approach

Brescó, Ignacio

doi:10.1177/1354067x211015416

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Reviewing and writing on the meaningfulness of the screenshots helped them be more aware of the thoughts and emotions they did not notice during gameplay, which added depth to their meaning-making of past events. We extended the restorative potential of photographing daily moments in grief processing (Jiménez-Alonso and Bresco de Luna, 2022 ) by demonstrating that taking pictures of virtual experiences could also make participants more aware of the impact of their gaming experience on themselves, in line with the work of Hall et al ( 2021 ). Pairing gameplay with activities that enable players to connect their gaming and real-life experiences may be essential for promoting the meaning-making of the loss in bereaved individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

A thematic analysis of bereaved adults' meaning-making experience of loss through playing video games

Eum,

Doh

2023

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionRecalling personal memories on the loss and deriving new meanings from them is deemed necessary for adapting to bereavement. Recent studies suggest that games can afford players meaningful experiences that can support players through stressful life events, but its potential on the meaning-making of loss has not been much explored. To address this gap, we investigated the bereaved players' experiences of playing commercial video games that elicited their personal memories of loss and what meanings they derived from those experiences.MethodTwelve adult players with bereavement experiences (six male, six female, age range: 20-31) played two video games (Bear's Restaurant and Spiritfarer). Their experiences during and after gameplay were tracked via play diaries and in-depth interviews. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis method.ResultsWe discovered seven themes on the meanings that players made from their gameplay experience: “Recalling memories”, “Avoiding engagement with the pain”, “Recognizing positive emotions”, “Acknowledging the deceased's perspective”, “Reviewing the meaning of loss”, “Planning a better future”, and “Fulfilling a wish”. Our findings indicate that bereaved players recalled and related their autobiographical memories to their in-game experiences. Furthermore, they derived new meanings on both the loss and their post-loss life after playing video games.DiscussionWe discuss how video games can provide a unique meaning-making experience to bereaved players by affording them an agency to actively reconstruct their narrative of loss and facilitating the sharing of grief.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

A thematic analysis of bereaved adults' meaning-making experience of loss through playing video games

Eum,

Doh

2023

Front. Psychol.

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“…Particularly, multimodal texts, like photos “can contribute to the meaning‐making effort by providing contextual richness in triggering individuals' unique memories” (Jiménez‐Alonso & Bresco de Luna, 2022, p. 108). Creating space for multimodal expressions during times of grief can also promote agency over the grief process, foster connections with those lost, and function as a technology of self which can aid in important emotional regulation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These narration practices can also allow individuals “to reflect on their experiences and connect them with the larger context of community life and history as well as universal themes of suffering and transformation” (Saul, 2022, p. 124), and these narratives can be pivotal meaning‐making experiences in times of loss. Particularly, multimodal narrative expressions can be valuable therapeutic tools in times of grief because they allow individuals and communities to explore the multifaceted layers of the grieving process (Jiménez‐Alonso & Bresco de Luna, 2022).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Writing to grieve: Solidarity in times of loss in educational community spaces

Peachey,

Lee

2023

J Adolescent & Adult Lit

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This qualitative case study is a part of a larger university–community partnership that explores adolescents' utilization of critical literacy to write, engage, and lead in their communities. For this specific study, we explore the question: How does an educational community use literacy practices and modalities to grieve through collective loss and develop solidarity with one another? Through the utilization of a critical literacy framework and a sense‐based pedagogy lens, we explore how various forms of literacy and multimodalities allowed this community to grieve and foster solidarity in a time of loss. We conducted several rounds of inductive and emotion codings to identify key themes from our data sources which included student work/publications, social media posts, organization communication, videos, focus groups, and staff interviews. Our preliminary findings show that (a) reciprocal vulnerability developed over time can produce solidarity; (b) writing can be a restorative act in collective loss; and (c) writing through grief positions students as leaders of their communities. Through this study, we provide educators and community members with potential tools for developing spaces for restorative education and supporting collective resilience through literacy practices.

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“…They are taken over from a social group and function to mediate memory, as culture in action. Mediation implies a transformation of a relation through the intervention of a new factor, such as remembering through a picture (Jiménez-Alonso and Brescó de Luna, 2022) or a memorial site (Wagoner et al, 2019). For this reason, the sociocultural environment and mind need to be seen as mutually constitutive of one another (Shweder, 1991).…”

Section: Human Experience As Materially Psychologically and Culturall...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Memorials from the perspective of experience: A comparison of Spain’s Valley of the Fallen to contemporary counter-memorials

Brescó

Wagoner

2022

Memory Studies

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Memorials are cultural artifacts constructed to mediate memory for a shared past. But as such, they require people’s active engagement with them, which can generate divergent experiences and interpretations. The present study compares how different memorial forms both enable and constrain people’s relating to the sites and what they are meant to represent. The comparison hinges on the difference between traditional memorials (imposing, vertical, and focused on heroes) and counter-memorials (engaging, horizontal, and focused on victims). The Valley of the Fallen is in central focus as a prime example of a traditional memory, which is currently in the process of being re-signified. Our study compares participants’ experience of this site with the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the National 9/11 Memorial (both celebrated counter-memorials), using an innovative method combining interviews and a subjective camera that captures participants’ ongoing experience from the first-person perspective. Results show a manifold of ways in which people appropriate and make sense of memorials through different associations and personal memories while moving through them.

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Grief, photography and meaning making: A psychological constructivist approach

Cited by 16 publications

References 22 publications

A thematic analysis of bereaved adults' meaning-making experience of loss through playing video games

A thematic analysis of bereaved adults' meaning-making experience of loss through playing video games

Writing to grieve: Solidarity in times of loss in educational community spaces

Memorials from the perspective of experience: A comparison of Spain’s Valley of the Fallen to contemporary counter-memorials

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