Revisiting “The Art of Being Fragile”: Why cultural psychology needs literature and poetry

Lehmann, Olga V.; Brinkmann, Svend

doi:10.1177/1354067x19862183

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Life's unfolding in consonance or dissonance with our intentions and desires, sooner or later, puts all of us human beings in touch with existential givens such as uncertainty, death, loneliness (Yalom, 1980;Cooper, 2017). Consciously or not, we take different paths as we make sense of these experiences, and when integrated in terms of virtues, these pathways can transform our attitudes and choices (Lehmann and Brinkmann, 2019b). Our aim has been to explore with as much empathy and compassion as possible, how parents experience their grief and mourning, as well as the possibilities and impossibilities they face as they try to find a meaning in their grief and make meaningful their everyday lives despite them.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Norwegian Mothers Attending an Online Course of Therapeutic Writing Following the Unexpected Death of a Child

et al. 2022

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The unexpected death of a child is one of the most challenging losses as it fractures survivors’ sense of parenthood and other layers of identity. Given that not all the bereaved parents who have need for support respond well to available treatments and that many have little access to further intervention or follow-up over time, online interventions featuring therapeutic writing and peer support have strong potential. In this article we explore how a group of bereaved mothers experienced the process of participating in an online course in therapeutic writing for the integration of grief. Our research questions were: How do parents who have lost a child experience being part of an online course in therapeutic writing? What are the perceived benefits and challenges of writing in processing their grief? We followed an existential phenomenological approach and analyzed fieldwork notes (n = 13), qualitative data from the application and assessment surveys (n = 35; n = 21), excerpts from the journals of some participants (n = 3), and email correspondence with some participants (n = 5). We categorized the results in three meaning units: (1) where does my story begin? The “both and” of their silent chaos; (2) standing on the middle line: a pregnancy that does not end; (3) closures and openings: “careful optimism” and the need for community support. Participants experienced writing as an opportunity for self-exploration regarding their identities and their emotional world, as well as a means to develop and strengthen a bond with their children. They also experienced a sense of belonging, validation, and acceptance in the online group in a way that helped them make sense of their suffering. Online writing courses could be of benefit for bereaved parents who are grieving the unexpected death of a child, but do not replace other interventions such as psychotherapy. In addition to trauma and attachment informed models of grief, identity informed models with a developmental focus might enhance the impact of both low-threshold community interventions and more intensive clinical ones. Further studies and theoretical development in the area are needed, addressing dialogical notions such as the multivoicedness of the self.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Norwegian Mothers Attending an Online Course of Therapeutic Writing Following the Unexpected Death of a Child

et al. 2022

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“…Poetic turns enable the coexistence of multivoicedness and tensions as we are crafting our stories, giving room to paradoxes, dilemmas, and ambiguities. These poetic turns spark wisdom and beauty within the fragility of our lives (Lehmann & Brinkmann, 2020), since we have, on one hand, a story to craft and, on the other, the instants which palpitate in us as we craft it, the emotional rhythms of doubt, regret, exhilaration, hope, and so on.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reflections upon one's inner life and the relationship with oneself, often pose the dilemma of whether or not human beings have a spiritual dimension, and cultural psychology could address this issue more consistently in their developmental theories (Lehmann & Brinkmann, 2019a). Given that most participants described this on a secular-or at least non-religiousperspective, we let the poetic representation be as non-directive as possible when it comes to spiritual practices, yet open to them.…”

Section: "Listen Inward": a Poetic Representation Of Self-explorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This mode of being-in-the-world and being-with-the-world as an existential pathway suggests insights related to interconnectedness with otherness (e.g., with other persons, with nature, with God) which can be interpreted in either secular or religious ways. Reflections upon one’s inner life and the relationship with oneself often pose the dilemma of whether or not human beings have a spiritual dimension, and cultural psychology could address this issue more consistently in their developmental theories (Lehmann & Brinkmann, 2020). Given that most participants described this on a secular—or at least non-religious—perspective, we let the poetic representation be as non-directive as possible when it comes to spiritual practices, yet open to them.…”

Section: Existential Pathways and Personal Life Philosophies: Insightmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Humbled by Life”: Poetic Representations of Existential Pathways and Personal Life Philosophies Among Older Adults in Norway

Lehmann

Brinkmann

2019

Qualitative Inquiry

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In this article, we support the use of poetic representations to study experiential and existential meaning-making. We do so by presenting five spoken-word poems, which we created out of the transcriptions of 14 in-depth interviews with Norwegian older adults, prior to their enrollment in a biographical writing course. The poetic representations which have been named by themes from the transcript are (a) Where love takes us, (b) Relax during catastrophes, (c) Learning to see humankind as one common humanity, (d) Listen inward, (e) Life is, indeed, too short. Each poetic representation condenses diverse meanings and perspectives about life. They also maintain the anonymity of participants, as the plurality of their voices becomes one within the stanzas. While presenting this creative form of qualitative inquiry and providing some methodological reflections, we also discuss the implications of this approach for the theoretical development of the notions of personal life philosophies and existential pathways in cultural psychology.

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“…Once again, during the process of writing the outcomes of our collaborative reflexivity, existential meaning flourished within us. Looking at our experiences of suffering, this way has also made us aware of the fragility and vulnerability and beauty of the human condition (Lehmann & Brinkmann, 2019b). For example, for Olga, revisiting her memories and desired life trajectories have been difficult.…”

Section: Rethinking the Trajectory Equifinality Approach: Existentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

This is the real “death-line” AND I am still alive: A collaborative reflexivity about life trajectories

Lehmann

Hansen²,

Hurme

2020

Culture & Psychology

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In this article, we, Olga Lehmann, Mixo Hansen and Helena Hurme, engage in a process of collaborative reflexivity upon living, aging, and dying as we attempt to make sense of the illnesses of the last author. The companionship that emerged between us in the plurality of our identities as friends, colleagues, coauthors, and women, encouraged us to revisit aspects of the theories in developmental-cultural psychology such as (a) the process of meaning-making, (b) the equifinality model in relation to aging and dying, and (c) the notion of personal life philosophies in relation to virtues. Based on our personal experiences as well as our collaborative reflexivity as scholars, we highlight that developmental-cultural psychology could more explicitly address existential transitions, such as dying and existential givens, such as uncertainty in its theories. We present as well some preliminary integrations between existential and cultural perspectives of meaning-making.

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Revisiting “The Art of Being Fragile”: Why cultural psychology needs literature and poetry

Cited by 14 publications

References 28 publications

Experiences of Norwegian Mothers Attending an Online Course of Therapeutic Writing Following the Unexpected Death of a Child

Experiences of Norwegian Mothers Attending an Online Course of Therapeutic Writing Following the Unexpected Death of a Child

“Humbled by Life”: Poetic Representations of Existential Pathways and Personal Life Philosophies Among Older Adults in Norway

This is the real “death-line” AND I am still alive: A collaborative reflexivity about life trajectories

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