Transforming grief: The use of images during bereavement in Mexico and the United States

Authors

Rebecca M. Reséndiz Rodriguez, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow

Document Type

Book

Publication Date

11-2010

Abstract

According to the literature, bereavement photography was an important part of funeral rituals in many countries, including Mexicoand the United States. By the early to mid- 20^th century, the custom appeared to have fallen out of favor in both countries except in the case of neonatal bereavement photography, at least in theUnited States. By comparing participants from 2 distinct cultures - theUnited States andMexico - I hope to show that bereavement photography can still be a useful tool during grieving. Anxiety and depression related to the topic of death will be evaluated for differences or similarities between the 2 cultures using Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS) and Death Depression Scale-Revised (DDS-R). In addition, there was an effort to determine if other variables correlate with these scores, including knowledge of, owning, or having taken a bereavement photograph. An examination of the history of post-mortem photography in both countries indicated that such images provide survivors with tangible mementos of the deceased and could be an equally powerful tool in grief work today.

Comments

Copyright 2010 Rebecca M. Reséndiz Rodriguez. All rights reserved.

Recommended Citation

Reséndiz Rodriguez, R. M. (2010). Transforming grief: The use of images during bereavement in Mexico and the United States [Doctoral dissertation, Argosy University, Chicago]. UTRGV ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/som_pub/1003

Academic Level

faculty

Mentor/PI Department

Psychiatry