An intergenerational case study of suicidal tradition and mother‐daughter communication

Abstract

This study explores the intergenerational messages of seven women across four generations—six of whom have engaged in nonfatal suicide behaviors. Ethnographic methods are used to investigate culturally distinctive patterns of communication which may have put the female members of this family at risk for suicide.

As an ethnographic inquiry, the researcher functions as an active participant in the household of target family members making observations, generating descriptions, and ultimately analyzing salient themes in the talk of the seven women. Eleven themes are discussed and a model of gender‐specific family communication interaction is proposed.