x, 89 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Alternative forms of memorialization offer a sense of empowerment to the
mourner, bringing the act of grieving into the personal sphere and away from the clinical
or official realm of funeral homes and cemeteries. Constructing a spontaneous shrine
allows a mourner to create a meaningful narrative of the deceased's life, giving structure
and significance to a loss that may seem chaotic or meaningless in the immediate
aftermath. These vernacular memorials also function as focal points for continued communication with the departed and interaction with a community of mourners that
blurs distinctions between public and private spheres. I focus my analysis on MySpace
pages that are transformed into spontaneous memorials in the wake of a user's death, the
creation of "ghost bikes" at the sites of fatal bicycle-automobile collisions, and memorial
tattooing, exploring the ways in which these practices are socially constructed
innovations on the traditional material forms of mourning culture. / Committee in Charge:
Dr. Daniel Wojcik, Folklore, Chair;
Dr. Philip Scher, Anthropology;
Dr. Doug Blandy, Arts and Administration / 2016-05-28
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uoregon.edu/oai:scholarsbank.uoregon.edu:1794/10821 |
| Date | 09 1900 |
| Creators | Dobler, Robert, 1980- |
| Publisher | University of Oregon |
| Source Sets | University of Oregon |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | University of University of Oregon theses, Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Individualized Program, M.A., 2010; |
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