| Popis: |
African American males are killed by gun violence at a greater risk than any other ethnic group, leaving African Americans mothers to cope with grief at disproportionately high rates. A phenomenological method was used to explore the lived experiences of African American women whose sons were killed by gun violence in Philadelphia using Rando’s (1993) six “R” processes of complicated grief theory as a framework. Six themes emerged from the research: faith and spirituality, giving back to the community, personal relationships with others after the death of a son, connections with son after death, worldview, and double grief. Many of these findings indicate that mothers experience and struggle through the “R” processes of grief; they also experience a unique conflict the researcher has termed double grief, the phenomenon of grieving for oneself and for the mother of the perpetrator. This new concept emerged from the research and is discussed along with recommendations and ideas for future research. |
