Relational Dialectics Journal Article Report - Grieving Together and Apart: Bereaved Parents’ Contradictions of Marital Interaction

Brett J. Green

Reference

- Toller, P., & Braithwaite, D. (2009). Grieving Together And Apart: Bereaved Parents’ Contradictions of Marital Interaction. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 37(3), 257-277.

Institutional Affiliation and Academic Rank of Author(s) at Time of Publication

- Paige W. Toller, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Nebraska Omaha

- Dawn O. Braithwaite, Chair of Communication Studies at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Theory

- Relational Dialectics - Key Concepts: Parental Bereavement,

Relational Dialectics Theory, Grieving; Marital Partners

- Epistemological Camp: Interpretive (Qualitative Research)

Goal(s) of Study

- Examine how 37 parents have coped with losing a child.

- Apply the theory of Relational Dialectics (Montgomery & Baxter) to interpret the results from this study.

- Use the results from the study to discover how couples grieve the loss of a child.

Research Hypotheses and/or Research Questions Examined

- What dialectical tensions do bereaved parents experience when communicating with their marital partner?

- How do bereaved parents and their marital partners communicatively manage these dialectical tensions?

Research Method(s)

- Participants: 37 parents interviewed- 14 parents were currently participating in a

bereavement group- 9 had participated in a bereavement support group

at one time- 14 had never participated in a bereavement support

group.

Research Method(s) cont.

Procedure - Researchers used a semistructured interview format- Interview began with a discussion of the

purpose of the study- Parents were then asked to describe their

relationship and their communication in the present. (Retrospective Interview Technique)

Procedure cont.

- Results did not vary based on locations of the interviews.

Results

Bereaved parents expressed certain desires:- Grieving together-Grieving Apart Method

- Dissimilar approaches to grief- Dissimilar grief expressions- Negotiations:

- Accepting their differences and ways of grieving - Compromising- Seeking outside help

Results cont.

- Openness-Closedness Method- Both parents are opened and closed- One marital partner is open; one is closed- Negotiations:

- Open with others; closed with spouses- Closed verbally; open nonverbally (Recalibration)- Accepting each other’s communication

(Reaffirmation)

Conclusions

- Contradiction between how couples grieve together and individually

- Accepting & Embracing of each others’ ways of grieving (Reaffirmation)

- Recognition of Individual Needs

Future Research

- More Interviews (no previous experience in bereavement groups)

- Medical Professionals- Confidentiality

My Opinion

- Every situation is different, every person is different

- Individual situations vs Relationships