A Grounded Theory of Emotional Detachment of the Bereaved from Emotional Interactions of Relatives in cases of Sudden Death

Abstract

Abstract Over the course of history, death, in addition to life, has been a social phenomenon of major concern for human beings. Sudden demise, among other things, disrupts mental health, social interactions, and family relationships of the bereaved. Although there is a huge body of research on demography, burial, and rituals of death, few researchers have addressed sociological aspects of death in detail with reference to social and cultural backgrounds of how the bereaved behave in the event of sudden demise, the process of self-deconstruction, and the role of supporting agents such as relatives. The aim of the present study was to identify the behavior pattern of the bereaved and their relatives in the event of sudden death and the role the relatives played in the deconstruction process. Allied to this, a qualitative approach and the Grounded Theory were employed to collect the data. The bereaved who lost their loved ones within 4 months to 4 years ago gave in-depth unstructured interviews. The data were analyzed via open, axial, and selective codings. Afterwards, the results and findings were presented in tables in a story line based on the paradigmatic model. The results showed that the connections between the bereaved and their relatives and the consequent behavioral and emotional exchange shaped certain dynamisms. These dynamisms signified the establishment of a dualism about the emotional expectations of the bereaved from their relatives resulting in the emotional deconstruction between them. Keywords: Sudden Death, The Bereaved, Relatives, Emotional Expectations, Emotional Deconstruction- Disintegration