Puddle Jumping: How do young children manage their grief following the death of their sibling and how do mothers use continuing bonds to maintain their children's relationship in the living world?
Authors
Ravenscroft, Debbie J.Advisors
Devarakonda, ChandrikaPublication Date
2023
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This thesis examines the narratives of four mothers who are bereaved of one of their children and are parenting living children. The study used an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences of bereaved siblings through the stories told by their mothers. Previous research exploring the impact on children following the death of a sibling, indicates the potential long-lasting impact on their emotional wellbeing, but there is a scarcity of research which focuses on the younger child and the practice of continuing bonds by their mother. A review of the literature focuses on the traditions, rituals and practices enacted by mothers as they endeavour to create or to maintain relationships between all their children; those who have died and those in the living world. A case study approach has been adopted across four case studies and includes semistructured interviews with each child’s mother using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to demonstrate their lived experiences. Rich narratives allow an insight into how young siblings can manage their grief and maintain a relationship with their sibling. Analysis of the data revealed the importance of this sibling relationship and the ways in which the children’s mothers incorporated the memories of their dead children into their lives of their living children. The data revealed that grief is felt even when a sibling was not known in the living world and that living siblings share stories and memories and are an important part of continuing bonds. Mothers spoke with love, hope, and confidence about all their children and of their determination to ensure their siblings remained in each other's lives. The thesis also demonstrates the tensions felt amongst educational professionals and western society in talking to young children about death and how their voice can become silenced, contributing to their grief. Mothers play a key role in forging and maintaining the bond between their living and dead children, but further research in this area is needed.Citation
Ravenscroft, D. J. (2023). Puddle Jumping: How do young children manage their grief following the death of their sibling and how do mothers use continuing bonds to maintain their children's relationship in the living world? [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.Publisher
University of ChesterType
Thesis or dissertationLanguage
enCollections
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