Death rituals, religious beliefs, and grief of Turkish women

Aksoz-Efe I., Erdur-Baker O., Servaty-Seib H.

DEATH STUDIES, vol.42, no.9, pp.579-592, 2018 (SSCI) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 42 Issue: 9
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1407379
  • Journal Name: DEATH STUDIES
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.579-592
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Grief following a death loss is a common experience that all individuals face at some point in life. There, however, are only a few in-depth studies regarding grief in cultures around the world and specific roles that rituals and beliefs related to death may have in the grieving process. Results of interview data from eight grieving Turkish women revealed three themes: (a) metaphors of loss, (b) funeral rituals, and (c) rituals in relation to control and personal factors. Overall, participants' sense of control appeared to influence their grief experiences and perceptions of rituals.