Negotiation of Dialectical Contradictions by Parents who have Experienced the Death of a Child

Abstract

This study examines how bereaved parents experience communicating with individuals in their social network. The bereaved parents in this study experienced two dialectical contradictions: (a) between the physical absence of their child and the continuing presence and emotional bond with their deceased child; and (b) between being open or closed when deciding whether to talk about the deceased child to others. Results describe how parents communicatively negotiated these contradictions. The article concludes by discussing practical applications for bereaved parents, bereavement support groups, helping professionals, and individuals within the bereaved parents' social network.

Keywords:

• Dialectical Contradictions
• Presence–Absence
• Openness–Closedness
• Parental Bereavement

Notes

Paige W. Toller (M.A., Abilene Christian University) is a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Correspondence to: Department of Communication Studies, 419 Oldfather Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0329, USA. [email protected]. The author would like to thank Dawn O. Braithwaite for her guidance on this project, the editor and reviewers for their constructive comments, and the parents who shared their stories of loss and survival.