Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, 2002. / Since 1996, hundreds of thousands of children under
the age of 7 have experienced the death of a parent
in South Africa. Whilst this loss is considered to
pose a risk for future development, the existing
studies lack clarity as to how this experience acts
upon the adult throughout life. To this end, this
inquiry attempts to capture an in-depth understanding
of this experience and stimulate awareness regarding
the needs of bereaved children. Through a
phenomenological approach this investigation focuses specifically on the personal experience of several adults who have experienced the death of a father during their pre-school years. An aspect of the inquiry explores the perceived role the father would have played in the context of their ongoing lives. Eight core themes are derived which reflect the perceptions of this loss.
The value of a phenomenological approach with relevance to the study of early bereavement is illumunitated. Some limitations of this study are recognized and suggestions for future research are proposed. Based on the insights gleaned through this study, implications are brought to the fore that pertain to the general experience of early parental bereavement.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/507 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Ferrer, Lynne |
| Contributors | Edwards, S.D. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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