Faculty Advisor Name
David Ford
Description
In American culture, the approach of many to death and bereavement is couched in religious messaging. For much of the country, this approach resonates with a mourner's worldview. However, this is not the case with a growing segment of the population: individuals who identify as non-religious. While well-meaning, common strategies intended to comfort these individuals and help them navigate the mourning process may be less than effective, and in some cases even distressing due to religious content.
The design of the proposed intervention is intended to provide a purely secular support environment in which group members explore the cultural context of grief while processing their experiences. The design emphasizes secular intervention strategies, awareness of the influences and expectations leveraged on the bereaved by the larger culture, and activism in the form of spreading secular alternatives in addressing grief. It is important to note that the purpose of such an intervention would not be to be disparaging to those who deal with grief through spiritual means, but to recognize the underlying content of grief messaging in American culture and to offer a purely secular alternative.
Included in
A Bereavement Support Group for the Non-Religious
In American culture, the approach of many to death and bereavement is couched in religious messaging. For much of the country, this approach resonates with a mourner's worldview. However, this is not the case with a growing segment of the population: individuals who identify as non-religious. While well-meaning, common strategies intended to comfort these individuals and help them navigate the mourning process may be less than effective, and in some cases even distressing due to religious content.
The design of the proposed intervention is intended to provide a purely secular support environment in which group members explore the cultural context of grief while processing their experiences. The design emphasizes secular intervention strategies, awareness of the influences and expectations leveraged on the bereaved by the larger culture, and activism in the form of spreading secular alternatives in addressing grief. It is important to note that the purpose of such an intervention would not be to be disparaging to those who deal with grief through spiritual means, but to recognize the underlying content of grief messaging in American culture and to offer a purely secular alternative.
