The Role of Communication and Story Telling in the Family Grieving System

Bosticco, Cecilia; Thompson, Teresa L.

doi:10.1207/s15327698jfc0504_2

Cited by 42 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 59 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Scholars need to understand the different stages of grieving and the yearning/emotional needs of the bereaved individual throughout the healing process. Sanderson and Cheong (2010) describe grief as a normal reaction to the death of a family member or friend, with grief being one of the most trying human experiences in life (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005). Stroebe and Schut (1999) suggest the most important part of grieving is confronting the reality of the death, and adjusting to life without the person.…”

Section: Griefmentioning

confidence: 99%

Death on the Digital Landscape: A Preliminary Investigation into the Grief Process and Motivations behind Participation in the Online Memoriam

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Increasingly, individuals are bonding and maintaining relationships online. These digital representations of ourselves allow us to connect with others in ways previously not possible. One behavior that is growing in online presentations of self is grieving after the death of an individual in our social network. This work investigates the outcomes of online grieving from a transcorporeal communication model perspective, and draws conclusions on the outcomes of online grief behaviors.

show abstract

Section: Griefmentioning

confidence: 99%

Death on the Digital Landscape: A Preliminary Investigation into the Grief Process and Motivations behind Participation in the Online Memoriam

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…and how family members negotiate loss (Bosticco & Thompson, 2005;Carmon, Western, Miller, Pearson, & Fowler, 2010;Golish & Powell, 2003;Toller, 2005Toller, , 2008Toller & Braithwaite, 2009). These lines of research tend to focus on face-to-face communication between patients, providers, family, and friends.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploiting Loss?: Ethical Considerations, Boundaries, and Opportunities for the Study of Death and Grief Online

Carmack

DeGroot

2014

Omega (Westport)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

More people are turning to the Internet to communicate about dying, death, and grief experiences. This theoretical article explores the ethical dilemmas, challenges, and opportunities presented to researchers interested in exploring how death and grief are communicated online. Weaving together the literatures of computer-mediated communication and thanatology (dying and death), we discuss the ways in which many common ethical dilemmas uniquely manifest related to death and grief. We also explore the emotional impact studying death and grief online has on researchers and the importance of thinking about researcher emotions on scholars who study these issues. We end with recommendations of how to move forward in the dialogue about ethics and studying death and grief online.

show abstract

“…Narrative, a form of communication, allows for freedom where participants may name and reflect on "their fears and desires" (Madison, 2005, p. 56). According Bosticco and Thompson (2005), "communication serves as a central function in grieving" (p. 274). However, grief and death seem to be two large categories within our society from which we shy away.…”

Section: Narrative In Communicating Lossmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, grief and death seem to be two large categories within our society from which we shy away. In their exploration of grief in the family system, Bosticco and Thompson (2005) discuss two significant losses a child may experience in his or her lifetime. That is the death of a parent or the death of a sibling (p. 262).…”

Section: Narrative In Communicating Lossmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is the death of a parent or the death of a sibling (p. 262). While this research is helpful in exploring sibling loss, it does not necessarily address the experience of emergent adult surviving siblings, as Bosticco and Thompson (2005) are referring to adolescents. It is possible, even likely, that the experience of loss may vary greatly, depending on the age of the surviving sibling.…”

Section: Narrative In Communicating Lossmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Dialectical tensions

Nilsen

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The longest relationship many of us will share in our lifetime is that with our siblings. Siblings sometimes experience the loss of their brothers and sisters to drunk drivers. Despite the risks associated with drinking and driving, this behavior continues to occur. This study explores drunk driving, sibling loss, and loss during emerging adulthood. This study explores the ways in which dialectical tensions and liminality take shape across educational and professional contexts when emergent adults lose her/his siblings to drunk drivers. Two dialectical tensions emerged in this work: openness-closedness and connectedness-autonomy. Surviving siblings engage in four patterns of praxis in negotiating loss-related dialectical tensions: disorientation, segmentation, balance, and sharing. Negotiation of these dialectical tensions helps surviving siblings navigate through liminal spaces after a significant loss. Often times, the other party in the communicative act mediates the communication and dialectical tensions surrounding loss. The findings herein suggest that academic and professional institutions as well as instructors and supervisors should engage in grief communication training. In addition, surviving siblings should seek out a space of comfort where they may disclose and discuss their experiences of loss and grief. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was possible, in large part, due to the incredible support, guidance, and encouragement of several people. First, I want to acknowledge the courageous surviving siblings who came forward to share their experiences and stories. Your willingness to participate in this study made this work possible; it is your participation that provided the foundation of-and the reason for-this work. This study is for you, and for your siblings. I also wish to acknowledge Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). You provided invaluable support in this work; it is because of you that I was able to connect with other surviving siblings and engage in this research. Thank you for believing in this work, and for supporting my goal to engage in meaningful research surrounding sibling loss and drunk driving. I wish to thank my advisor, mentor, and thesis committee chair, Dr. Deanna Fassett, who supported this research idea from the near beginning of my graduate studies. You helped me see the relevance and importance of this work on an academic level. During my moments of uncertainty, you pushed me forward. Your support, kindness, and guidance allowed me to engage in this work that not only speaks to theory within communication studies, but also speaks to a larger audience beyond academia. Your guidance and patience throughout this work, and throughout the graduate program, make me the scholar I am today. I would like to acknowledge the two scholars who generously served as thesis

show abstract

The Role of Communication and Story Telling in the Family Grieving System

Cited by 42 publications

References 59 publications

Death on the Digital Landscape: A Preliminary Investigation into the Grief Process and Motivations behind Participation in the Online Memoriam

Death on the Digital Landscape: A Preliminary Investigation into the Grief Process and Motivations behind Participation in the Online Memoriam

Exploiting Loss?: Ethical Considerations, Boundaries, and Opportunities for the Study of Death and Grief Online

Dialectical tensions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About