| ISSN: 2583-3812 | ISSN: 2583-3812JOURNAL ARTICLE
Keywords: Bereavement, Challenges, Strengths, Themes, Thematic analysis, Widow, young
Abstract: Widows comprise a large part of the total population (4.6%) in India. Widowhood mostly affects younger women in developing countries. A widow has to experience multiple stressors in her daily life especially when she is parenting her dependent children in the family. The off-time spousal bereavement has the potential to bring multiple disruptions in their lives. It involves changes in their identities and re-evaluation of once-established roles. In Indian societies, the prevailing culture, traditions, and customs present multiple problems for such women. Overcoming such stressors in their lives demands struggle, courage, and strength. The broader understanding of bereavement among such women needs to have an insight into its impact on all the facets of their lives; their personal lives; their family lives and their social lives. This research investigated the challenges faced by such women in their personal and social dimensions and their struggles in overcoming such challenges after experiencing the death of spouses in their lives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven women who experienced spousal death in their lives and were the sole parents of their children. The age of the participants was in the range of 30 to 50 years with a mean of M=41.6 years. Time since the death of a spouse was in the range of 2 to 5 years with a mean of M= 3.1 years. The data from the participants were analyzed inductively using thematic analysis. The themes revealed that spousal bereavement in Kashmiri women includes “Psychological impact”, “Physical impact”, “Feelings of Deprivation in Family”, “ Disrupted Family Processes & Overburdened Responsibilities”, “Changed Social Identity”, “Religious Coping and continued Bonds”, “Social Support”, “Personal Growth” and “ Hopes in the Family”. Vulnerabilities faced by widows in India render them the depressed class of society. The findings reveal the significant disruption and challenges they face and the ways they re-construct and re-negotiate their lives. The study has implications for bereavement counselors and calls for looking beyond the victimhood paradigm in women’s studies.
Article Info: Received: 28 Jul 2022; Received in revised form: 16 Aug 2022; Accepted: 23 Aug 2022; Available online: 30 Aug 2022
DOI: 10.22161/ijeel.1.3.3
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