Men, masculinity and bereavement: a qualitative investigation

Abstract

Historically, most models of bereavement have been derived from studies on women. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to study men's experiences of grief without comparing them to women. An additional purpose of the study was to examine how the symbolic interpretation of masculinity influenced men's experiences with bereavement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine men who had experienced the death of a loved one. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results indicated that men use four primary coping strategies in response to loss: (a) setting aside the grief response, (b) instrumental coping, (c) expressive coping, and (d) searching for meaning. Additionally, a relationship was identified between a participant's definition of masculinity and his comfort level with certain coping styles. A Transactional Model of Male Grief is proposed that describes the nature of this relationship. Implications of the findings are that men's experiences with grief are not defined by their sex, but are defined by the context of their experience.