"It's your loss": Making loss one's own through blog narrative practices. Issue 4 (2nd April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Karkar, Alexander J.; Burke, Lisa M.
• Is Part Of: Death studies. Volume 44:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 210
• Page End: 222
• Publication Date: 2020-04-02
• Subjects: Death -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Terminal care -- Periodicals; Death -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Periodicals; 306.9
• DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1531087
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0748-1187

Abstract

Abstract: This study investigated whether the 30 prompted categories of Gillies, Neimeyer, and Milman's (2014) Meaning of Loss Codebook (MLC) emerged in the unprompted and naturalistic blogs of four grieving widows. Furthermore, the study aimed to examine how such meanings emerged through each participant's processes of narrativization. Results showed that 26 of 30 MLC meanings emerged over 582 posts. Furthermore, in blogs demonstrating continued bonds with the deceased, MLC meanings formed networks integrated within narrative pathways. Conversely, in cases where severing ties were formulated as a condition of "moving on, " meanings appeared in isolation of narrative and complications in narrativization were evident.