The diagnosis of childhood cancer implies possible death in spite of aggressive medical treatment. Thus far the literature investigating children's death concepts has not fully examined the personal death concepts of children with life-challenging illnesses. / This dissertation examined the personal death concepts of three children between the ages of four and seven who were in the end stages of treatment for life-challenging forms of cancer. An in-group comparison of the children's concepts was conducted. Methodology for conducting research with dying children was evaluated. The data were interpreted using the combined theoretical paradigms of epistemology and existentialism. / The children's personal death concepts were identical across fourteen categories of death. All of the children expressed complete concepts of: (1) realization; (2) separation; (3) irrevocability; (4) causality; (5) universality; and (6) personal death. Their incomplete categories included: (1) personification; (2) immobility; (3) dysfunctionality; (4) insensitivity; and (5) appearance. Additionally, they expressed spiritual concepts regarding their deaths. / Their personal death concepts involved both preoperational and concrete operational thinking. However, the existential meaning they assigned to their concepts may have enabled them to find peace in their own deaths. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-11, Section: A, page: 3991. / Major Professor: F. Donald Kelly. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77032 |
| Contributors | Godwin-Tuckman, Darby Lynn., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 253 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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