Disenfranchised Grief and Resilience Among Gay Widowers: a Phenomenological Exploration
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Disenfranchised Grief and Resilience Among Gay Widowers: A Phenomenological Exploration Item Type dissertation Authors McNutt, Bryan R. Publication Date 2014 Abstract Due to the continued prevalence of socio-cultural attitudes of sexual prejudice and stigma towards sexual minority relationships, and the continued lack of consistently inclusive legal protections for same-sex couples, bereaved gay widowers face c... Keywords gay widowers; disenfranchised grief; Bereavement; Grief; Resilience, Psychological; Sexual and Gender Minorities Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Download date 30/09/2021 21:01:34 Item License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10713/14089 DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF AND RESILIENCE AMONG GAY WIDOWERS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION A dissertation submitted by BRYAN R. MCNUTT to PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY with emphasis in DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY This dissertation has been accepted for the faculty of Pacifica Graduate Institute by: Dr. Paula Thomson, Chair Dr. Enrique Lopez, Reader Dr. Charles Silverstein, External Reader UMI Number: 3640286 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3640286 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 ii JULY 21, 2014 Copyright by BRYAN R. MCNUTT 2014 iii ABSTRACT Disenfranchised Grief and Resilience Among Gay Widowers: A Phenomenological Exploration by Bryan R. McNutt Due to the continued prevalence of socio-cultural attitudes of sexual prejudice and stigma towards sexual minority relationships, and the continued lack of consistently inclusive legal protections for same-sex couples, bereaved gay widowers face considerable risk of encountering psychosocial features of disenfranchised grief at some point throughout their mourning process. In addition to providing a comprehensive review of previous research related to the bereavement experience of sexual minorities, this study considered the important role of psychological resilience for gay widowers in managing the bereavement recovery process and concurrent experiences of sexual minority stress. A descriptive phenomenological approach was applied through the use of semistructured in-depth interviews with five (5) gay widowers mourning the death of a same-sex partner due to a non-HIV/AIDS related cause. Results identified three primary constituents supporting a healthy trajectory of grief experience among gay widowers, while also providing indicators contributing to enhanced emotional and social resiliency: (1) Validation and Affirmation, (2) Family of Origin Integration, and (3) Positive Self- Regard. Likewise, the opposite constructs of these constituents (devaluation and disregard, family exclusion, and negative self-regard) also serve as likely indicators of increased vulnerability to developing complicated forms of disenfranchised grief, as well as difficulty accessing emotional and social resilience. Thus, the descriptions of these iv lived experiences provide further understanding of the influence of sexual minority stress upon the bereavement process of gay widowers, while also emphasizing the critical role of social validation and interpersonal recognition in promoting emotional resilience. Keywords: bereavement, grief, gay widowers, disenfranchised grief, resilience, sexual minorities. v Acknowledgements There are many individuals who have contributed to the encouragement and motivation required to pursue this area of research and accomplishing the specific demands of completing this dissertation. I thank the members of my committee, as well as several colleagues, who have provided valuable moments of guidance, challenge, and support throughout the process of research and writing. This work is dedicated primarily to the many gay widowers whose stories have not been heard or acknowledged and whose experiences of grief have remained hidden from others. Their stories of love, loss, and resilience are capable of contributing to the benefit of us all, particularly through our own journeys of grief. I would also like to acknowledge those members of my own family who have chosen the risk of love in seeking to understand and value my life story as a gay man. I am incredibly grateful for their openness to believing in the reward of a loving relationship instead of the confining fears of difference. I also acknowledge with gratitude the gift of sharing life together with my husband, which has nurtured my ability to love, play, dream, and appreciate the small moments together that make life worth living. vi Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1 Socio-Cultural Influence and Sexual Minority Stress .............................................8 Reflexivity..............................................................................................................13 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...........................................................................17 Spousal Grief and Bereaved Partners ....................................................................17 Diagnostic Features of Grief and Bereavement .....................................................21 Disenfranchised Grief ............................................................................................26 Disenfranchised Grief and Bereaved Sexual Minorities ........................................30 Psychological Distress and Sexual Minority Status...............................................32 Resilience in Grief and Among Sexual Minorities ................................................43 The Grief Experience of Gay Widowers: Previous and Current Research ............50 Implications of Research for Clinical Psychology.................................................62 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY .....................................................................................65 Phenomenology......................................................................................................65 The Influence of Husserl’s Phenomenological Psychology ..................................69 Giorgi’s Descriptive Phenomenological Method in Psychology ...........................81 Giorgi’s Application of the Descriptive Phenomenological Method ....................86 Data Collection Stage ......................................................................................87 Data Analysis of the Descriptions ...................................................................90 The Descriptive Sense of the Whole ......................................................91 The Search for Essences .........................................................................93 Transforming the Data into Psychologically Sensitive Expressions ......95 Research Design.....................................................................................................98 Participants ......................................................................................................98 Procedures .......................................................................................................98 Data Collection ..............................................................................................101 Data Analysis .................................................................................................102 Ethical Considerations .........................................................................................104 CHAPTER 4. RESULTS .................................................................................................108 Overview ..............................................................................................................108 The Widowers and Their Experiences .................................................................110 Thomas .......................................................................................................110 Andrew .......................................................................................................118 Larry .......................................................................................................128 Anthony .......................................................................................................140 Ray .................................................................................................................149 Summary of Results .............................................................................................158 Description of the Relationship with the Deceased Partner ..........................158 Description of Early Postdeath Grief Including the Death Experience .........161 Description of Changes in the Grief Process .................................................164 Description of Family and Social Responses ................................................165 vii Description of Relevant Experiences Associated