Graduation Year
2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Communication
Major Professor
Lori Roscoe, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Keith Berry, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Sara Green, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Jane Jorgenson, Ph.D.
Keywords
Communication, thematic analysis, displaced populations, identity
Abstract
This dissertation analyzes narratives (written and mediated) about widows’ post-loss experiences—specifically the ways in which these women embody and adjust/adhere to their post-loss widow identities—and whether or not the canonical/formula stories about widows reflect current experiences of widowhood. I look at older widowed women—both those in well-read widow memoirs and also in media portrayals of widows on film. The canonical view of widows as not attractive, not useful, and not interesting needs to be reexamined in light of changing ideas about gender roles and increased longevity. Surely older women have experiences, desires, and goals that encompass more than being socially invisible and caring for grandchildren. Given that 80% of women outlive their husbands (Mastekaasa, 1994; Peters & Liefbroer, 1997) and are an understudied and often overlooked population (Lopata, 1996), this heartfelt research is important.
Scholar Commons Citation
Bender, Jennifer R., "Widow Narratives on Film and in Memoirs: Exploring Formula Stories of Grief and Loss of Older Women After the Death of a Spouse" (2019). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/7744
