On the Death of My Sister: A Crystallized Account of Family Grief and Bereavement
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis explores the multifaceted experiences of an unexpected death in an Evangelical family. By crystallizing three methodological approaches to research, the thesis uncovers the experiences of the grief process from quantitative, qualitative, and rhetorical frames. A content analysis of personal messages written in sympathy cards, a qualitative study of a grieving Evangelical family and Burke's Pentad are placed in dialogue with each other as this thesis culls out the multiple truths that are present in the complex beauties of grief. Finally, the thesis puts a unique perspective on the mixing of methods in the author's first person autoethnographical account drawing out the co-constructed nature of both individualized and familial grief.
abstract: This thesis explores the multifaceted experiences of an unexpected death in an Evangelical family. By crystallizing three methodological approaches to research, the thesis uncovers the experiences of the grief process from quantitative, qualitative, and rhetorical frames. A content analysis of personal messages written in sympathy cards, a qualitative study of a grieving Evangelical family and Burke's Pentad are placed in dialogue with each other as this thesis culls out the multiple truths that are present in the complex beauties of grief. Finally, the thesis puts a unique perspective on the mixing of methods in the author's first person autoethnographical account drawing out the co-constructed nature of both individualized and familial grief.
author: Van Bebber Jr., David
keywords: autoethnography, crystallization, mixed methods, grief, bereavement family communication, tragic loss, Communication
date published: 2012-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:16:06Z
provider: Missouri State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Missouri State University