Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

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Date of Award

1-1-2016

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution

First Advisor

Claire Rice

Keywords

Adult Sibling Loss; Bereavement; Disenfranchised grief; Grief; Interpersonal conflict; transcendental phenomenology

Abstract

Every day throughout the world people die and leave loved ones behind. In areas such as the United States, Canada, and Europe individuals born around the 1950s are permitted to outwardly grieve the loss of a child, spouse, parent, or pet. Numerous books and support groups dedicated to these particular losses are prevalent. With parents losing a child, this should automatically translate to a sibling losing a sibling. Nonetheless, the support for sibling loss has remained sparse, leaving this segment often to grieve in private. This transcendental phenomenological research study was designed to understand the unique experiences that adult females have after the unexpected loss of their adult sibling. This study examines the problem of sudden loss to ascertain if there are common themes that surviving female adult siblings face during the bereavement process and later in life, which could lead to interpersonal conflicts. Through conducting and analyzing interviews and using the theoretical lenses of stage theory, dual process model, social constructionism, hierarchy of needs, and symbolic interactionism, this study revealed that the overarching essence of this phenomenon is the adult females’ pursuit of recognition for being the sibling of a deceased person, which was experienced through six intertwining paths: 1) continuing bonds; 2) loneliness and isolation; 3) repugnant behavior and actions; 4) consequential losses; 5) family structure; and 6) frustrations. The participants’ shared experiences provide recognition for this disenfranchised population along with identifying the life-long conflicts that could arise from such loss.

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