write ten short summary
Example of an Annotated Bibliography from a student
Reference
Baym, N. K., & boyd, d. (2012). Socially Mediated Publicness: An Introduction. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 56(3), 320-329. doi: 10.1080/08838151.2012.705200
Benkel, I., Wijk, H., & Molander, U. (2009). Family and friends provide most social support for the bereaved. Palliative Medicine, 23(2), 141-149.
Carroll, B., & Landry, K. (2010). Logging On and Letting Out: Using Online Social Networks to Grieve and to Mourn. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 30(5), 341-349. doi: 10.1177/0270467610380006
de Vries, B., & Rutherford, J. (2004). Memoralizing loved ones on the world wide web. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 49(1), 5-26.
DeGroot, J. M. (2012). Maintaining Relational Continuity with the Deceased on Facebook. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 65(3), 195-212.
Dyregrov, K. (2003). Micro-sociological analysis of social support following traumatic bereavement: Unhelpful and avoidant responses from the community. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 48(1), 23-44.
Falconer, K., Sachsenweger, M., Gibson, K., & Norman, H. (2011). Grieving in the Internet Age. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 40(3), 79-88.
Jones, S. (2004). The internet and the afterlife. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 49(1), 83-88.
Marwick, A & Ellison, N.B. (2012). “There Isn’t Wifi in Heaven!” Negotiating Visibility on Facebook Memorial Pages. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 56 (3), 378-400.
Sullender, R. (2010). Vicarious Grieving and the Media. Pastoral Psychology, 59(2), 191-200. doi: 10.1007/s11089-009-0227-5
Annotated bibliography
Baym, N. K., & boyd, d. (2012). Socially Mediated Publicness: An Introduction. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 56(3), 320-329. doi: 10.1080/08838151.2012.705200
Study objective: The article aims to introduce the reader to the concept of socially mediated public presence in today’s world. Discusses concepts related to “collapsed contexts,” who engages in and constitutes the “networked public,” the influence relationship between media and the public and the mediatory factors involved and the limits of control people experience through the process of active management of online identities
Data: Literature review; or rather, review of the articles presented in the rest of the magazine issue (this is an introductory article addressing and introducing some of the prevalent topics). No data set per se, but an introduction to concepts such as social publicness, visible and imagined audiences and “collapsed contexts,” engagement in public networks (online), and public rituals.
Discussion and conclusion: Social media complicates the meaning of being public, building audiences and addressing same. The scale of access people experience today is much greater than that of past historical times and public/quasi-public online identities and the boundaries between the public and the private spheres of communication. The blurring of these boundaries also changes the relationship between “audiences” and “publics.”
Other: Less usable for citation, but still useful for writing my proposal. I need to look up references found in this paper; looks like it has several useful citations on the topic of public/private and audience/public (use title as Boolean search-phrase).
Benkel, I., Wijk, H., & Molander, U. (2009). Family and friends provide most social support for the bereaved. Palliative Medicine, 23(2), 141-149.
Study objective: The purpose of this study was to explore social support expected from and given to a close relative or friend during the first year following the death of a loved one at a palliative care unit. Assessed sense of coherence levels (which is a measure indicative of a grieving person’s ability to eventually reach acceptance of the loss) and the individual’s personal sense of social support received.
Data: Mixed method design using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Used questionnaires to survey two separated groups of bereaved persons, on group where data were collected 6-8 weeks post loss and then again a year after the death, and the other group where data was collected only 1 year post death. Used semi-structured questionnaire with option for comments and in-depth answers (to assess sense of coherence and levels of social support given/experienced). The majority of the subjects responding were in their mid-50s or older and mostly still working or retired. Both genders about equally represented.
Discussion and conclusion: The data showed that a combination of practical and psychological social support was most frequently needed and provided. The social network that provided practical support was constituted mostly of family members and relatives whereas psychologicall and social support was more often provided by family members and friends. The study confirmed previous research findings indicating strong needs for social support from friends and families after the death of a loved one. The majority of the respondents felt that their needs for support were met by their social network. Respondents with a dysfunctional social network appeared to have more need for professional support. Need for further research to better understand and develop better routines to identify bereaved individuals’ needs for grief support.
Other: Great reference for the validity of social support needs/practical support needs of the bereaved. Swedish study (Sahlgrenska). Also, can be used as “model” for familial support/religion study I am working on.
Carroll, B., & Landry, K. (2010). Logging On and Letting Out: Using Online Social Networks to Grieve and to Mourn. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 30(5), 341-349. doi: 10.1177/0270467610380006
Study objective: To explore how and why young social media/internet users maintain connections with dead friends and relatives via online messages and memorial pages. Looks at how online, public messages are contributing to a “blurring” of the line between private and public mass communications.
Data: Mixed method study. Quantitative study component utilized survey methods to obtain data from 100 undergraduate students who all were self-professed Facebook users. Distributed surveys via SurveyGizmo.com, creating thus a self-selected survey respondent sample. The survey was promoted via a Facebook group page. ¾ of the respondents were female, and the average age of respondent was 21 y.o.a., so young, in other words. A qualitative, ethnographic analysis was conducted prior to the survey distribution. The analysis used data from 200 MySpace memorial pages and their respective messages (expressions of bereavement). Combined findings from both the ethnographic analysis and the survey responses to form basis for the findings from the study. Finds that there a 5 prevalent themes of messages found on the online memorial sites: visible and public symbols of grief, praise and adoration of the deceased, petitioning the deceased for help, biographical or narrative of the deceased’s life and interaction with the bereaved, and forum to express values, beliefs, and meaning of the deceased.
Discussion and conclusion: Concludes that online memorializing and commemoration of the deceased’s lives is important to the bereaved and can be a helpful tool in expressing grief. More studies are needed, taking into account a wider selection of groups, pages and sites, to find more data regarding this issue (yeah!! ME!). Found that MySpace pages are dynamic and continues to evolve as the needs and wishes of the users evolve. Also found that the individual online identities of the deceased continue and that these online identities are important to the bereaved in providing a forum for expression of grief and grief support needs.
Other: Verifies the foundation for my own research question. Therefore, excellent reference for my own research. Look up references from this article . Has an interesting figure (Fig 1) depicting a heat-map from MyDeathSpaces.com of deceased individuals who still have active MySpace pages. Look up similar visual representations for my own project! This article has a very nice lit review/background section which I should re-read when focusing on my own project.
de Vries, B., & Rutherford, J. (2004). Memoralizing loved ones on the world wide web. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 49(1), 5-26.
Study objective: This study looks at the so-called memorialization of deceased loved ones online using internet (World Wide Web) tools.
Data: Descriptive study - using quantitative methods - aimed at addressing questions like who writes online memorials and about whom? What forms do these memorials take and what are the common themes of the memorials?
Study sample drawn from www.VirtualMemorialGarden.com (online memorial site). The site is free of charge and contains a large amount of online memorials. The study used a random sample of 5% of the total pages (6700+ total) per September 1999. Demographic variables: Gender of the deceased, age of deceased, gender of message author, relationship to the deceased, length of entry. Content analysis variables: Expression of sadness, cause of death, reference to God, Watching over the activities of the living, reunion. Study method included a code for the types of memorials present (look up codebook!!).
Discussion and conclusion: Found that in this particular sample, the vast majority of writers were children of the deceased. Friends were frequent authors as well, and so were grandparents and parents. Memorials were written in greater proportions for men than for women, but the majority of memorials were written for parents in general. Letters to the deceased were written in 55.7% of the memorials and most authors expressed sadness and that they missed the deceased (62.3% of the sample). Women were the largest group of authors, though group authorship was also often noted. Concludes that “web-cemeteries” provide a venue for private mourning in a public place by borrowing elements from traditional grief and mourning rituals and combines them into meaningful personal expression.
Other: Interesting notion that WWW offers significant potential for the creation of new post death rituals. Article has a number of useful references. Follow up on section about rituals.
DeGroot, J. M. (2012). Maintaining Relational Continuity with the Deceased on Facebook. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 65(3), 195-212.
Study objective: This study aims to describe the narrative features of messages posted as well as investigate whether the messages posted serve grief related functions for the individuals posting the messages and whether the living seek to retain relationships with the dead through online messages.. The author utilizes grounded theory based narrative analysis to examine Facebook memorial pages to establish whether the messages posted addressing deceased subjects would “fulfill the functions of ‘Sensemaking’ and ‘Continuing Bonds’” – both functions of grief-related processing.
Data: Utilizes data gleaned through narrative content analysis of all postings featured on 20 separate Facebook memorial group pages, all of which were identified through publicly available forums and/or through the Facebook search function. The study was conducted in two distinct phases where phase I served as the initial basis for the development of the narrative coding scheme. All postings on the first 10 of the 20 memorial pages were analyzed using open coding and sourced coding narrative analysis methods. The 10 deceased individuals about whom the first phase of the study centers had all passed away due to accidents, homicide or suicide, respectively. The author initially identifies 3 separate categories of messages of which she chooses to focus on one, namely “people who knew the deceased and wrote messages directly to the deceased” (category of communication is labeled “transcorporeal communication” in the article). The messages are first categorized in units developed according to the authors ‘open coding’ scheme and later, utilizing a ‘focused coding’ method, collapsed into larger groups to reduce the amount of distinct categories (to ease analysis). During the 2nd phase of the study, the other 10 memorial group pages are analyzed in a similar fashion, resulting in the identification of 12 total categories of narrative message units within which the posts are aligned. The author sorts the categories under the two main, objective grief function processes (sensemaking and continuing bonds with the deceased).
Discussion & conclusion: Restates methods used. The author concludes that there is empirical evidence that living friends and family members have a need to remain in connection with the deceased through communication (messages) on Facebook memorial group pages. She states that this type of communication has not yet been closely examined by bereavement scholars. Communication between survivors/deceased is a distinct category of communication different from any other established communication method.
Other: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” This is a qualitative research study. Author is Communications professor, Ph.D. dissertation on Facebook and communication continuity (relational continuity) with the deceased. Interesting point related to the “transcorporeal communication” concept outlined.
Dyregrov, K. (2003). Micro-sociological analysis of social support following traumatic bereavement: Unhelpful and avoidant responses from the community. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 48(1), 23-44.
Study objective: Explores communicative and interactional processes underlying the reasons why parts of the social support given to bereaved parents following traumatic death fails. This study is part of a larger project (support & care study) which explores psychosocial situations, social network support, professional help needs, and self-care for bereaved parents.
Data: Primarily qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews to explore the inter-relational communication processes facilitating the social network support for the respondents. Data explores with ethnographic methods using a 4 subject “theme guide” to direct the responses and to measure: 1) quantitative dimensions of care, 2) qualitative and relational dimensions of support, 3) dimensions of ideal support, and 4) self-help strategies.
The Norwegian government granted access to demographic info allowing contact with families who had lost children due to traumatic death. Consented sub sample contained total of 69 parents from 40 families who had lost a child to suicide, accident, or SIDS. Considerable age variations within the sample group (30 – 52) with 37 female respondents and 32 male respondents. Further demographic info explicitly listed in article.
Discussion and conclusion: Social support networks do fail at providing support to the bereaved at times. Study used 5-step phenomenological meaning based consideration procedure for analysis (look up references to this method!!). The article accounts for – or at least addresses - the ecological impact of having the interviewer present during the interviews. The study results showed that social support from friends and families in their individual social networks were highly appreciated by the bereaved. Some negative encounters with networks members were reported as unhelpful. Social ineptitude sometimes reflected in network member utterances and behaviors (sudden withdrawal from the bereaved, excuses, etc.). Also takes into account the support persons point of view, addresses the various levels of openness among the bereaved parents. Concludes that there are few clear-cut norms – on a micro or macro level - guiding the social-support giving process between social networks and bereaved parents who have lost their child during traumatic circumstances. Suggest that future research should follow up by interviewing the social networks of these parents to see what their accounts of the events are and how they experience the social support task.
Other: Use to reference social support of the bereaved, social network support, social ineptitude, unhelpful advice and messages, sudden withdrawals from the bereaved, conversational avoidances, “telling the story.”
Falconer, K., Sachsenweger, M., Gibson, K., & Norman, H. (2011). Grieving in the Internet Age. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 40(3), 79-88.
Objective: This article discusses whether online tools such as Facebook and other net-based social media network sites are helpful for grief professionals aiming to aid the bereaved in the task of mourning. The introduction summarizes some of the popular grief models (Kubler-Ross, Rubin) and common grief practices, introduces the notion that social media and other online tools may be helpful in otherwise hard-to-reach populations (i.e. aftermath of New Zealand earth quake); emphasizes the concept of maintaining a relationship (and hence communication) with the deceased.
Data: The article is primarily intended as a discussion starter, and as such, does not build on a formal data set, per se. Discussion and conclusion built on summaries of grief models, grief practices and common therapeutic grief interventions (as referenced by a clinician). Looks at outcomes following a New Zealand earth-quake and the process of grief support related to this event. Focuses on the task of maintaining a relational bond with the deceased and the role this task plays in grief processing.
Discussion and conclusion: Notes that internet usage has changed all common communication practices of today’s world. Notes the appearance and development of “online-personas” (online identities) and states that the internet facilitates communication or relationships when geographical distance otherwise would prevent contact. Also, notes that individuals are increasingly using the internet to facilitate mourning processes and discusses the potentials and limits to online grief groups and grief support. Gives a clinician’s view and concludes that a) there’s been a shift in grieving practices due to the internet, b) there’s a need for more empirical research on this phenomenon, c) continued debate also needed around the stages-of-grief models.
Other: Use in reference to the issue of relational continuity, online identities, communication tools across distance (aid in process of vicarious grieving), and online grief support groups. Can be used as a referenced in relationship to the need for more empirical research in this area (justifying my study).
Jones, S. (2004). 404Not found: The internet and the afterlife. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 49(1), 83-88.
Study objective: Discusses whether new technologies can help us “immortalize” ourselves through the preservation of memories (email messages, voice messages, net based communications) previously not so easily accomplished (pre modern communication technologies). Memorializing the dead does no longer represent high cost of printed media. Questions and discusses how we, in a culture of mass communication online, understand and even learn about death and ritualize grief and mourning.
Data: More a discussion than an analysis. Uses reference articles to build the argument that no media, even modern media, is immortal.
Discussion and conclusion: Warns that technology also “dies” and that “no media is immortal.” Theorizes that the rapidly changing media landscape makes it easier to preserve memories, but renders them less valuable since their very presence is so immediate and easy to obtain. Our desire to remember and be remembered, the fact that we need to grieve and mourn has not and will not change.
Other: Very short article. Interesting note about www.finalthoughts.com. Brings up several new (for me) terms like “cyber immortal,” and the internet/cyberspace being considered “heavenly space.” Useful reference for section on spread and potential negative effect of online communication technologies.
Marwick, A & Ellison, N.B. (2012). “There Isn’t Wifi in Heaven!” Negotiating Visibility on Facebook Memorial Pages. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 56 (3), 378-400.
Study objective: Examines how social media (Facebook) affect public displays of grief and portrayals of the deceased. Considers the ways the public nature of online memorial pages affects displays of grieving. Does Facebook reshape the public presentation of the deceased? In other words, how does Facebook affect the ability to communicate with different audiences? Examines “context collapse” phenomenon.
Data: Uses Facebook memorial pages (public) as data source. Identified the pages by: 1) using the Facebook search option, adding filters for non-public pages and looking for the mention ”R.I.P” to find recently updated pages, 1) searching Google for common Facebook vocabulary words used on “memorialized” pages, 3) searching online obituaries to identify recently deceased individuals and then querying Facebook to locate memorial pages for the individuals. Found 62/used 37 of the memorial pages for data sample (but saved, as pds files, all the page info). Used Atlas.ti to perform quantitative analysis of data. Created codebook based on coding the 37 pages used for the study using grounded theory approach. Uses 4 commonly evaluated characteristics of social media analysis (persistence, replicability, scalability, and searchability – note to self: find more references on these characteristics/viability for research analysis) to better understand how digital mourning plays out on Facebook.
Discussion and conclusion: Notes that the process of mourning has both public and private features and that contributors to the pages appeared to struggle with the mediation between challenging publicness and benefits of same. The bereaved see benefits from reaching a larger audience with online notices and memorial pages making large scale distribution of info more possible. Memorial pages often used to distribute practical info (funeral details, fundraising requests, etc.). Strangers often contribute to the pages/join the discussions in vicarious support (or trolling/grief tourists). The authors find no consensus regarding the acceptability of the presence of these strangers, but they do find support to substantiate that comments about the deceased are largely positive and supportive. Social context from which a poster knew the deceased is often mentioned in the message. Finds that: 1) Facebook is an effective platform for sharing memories and participating in the grieving process, 2) the public nature of the postings has both costs/challenges and benefits for the bereaved, 3) the popularity of social media sites has altered social rituals related to grief and bereavement.
Other: Includes many very good references in the lit review part of the article. Features an excellent section on “digital mourning” (reference in my own research!). Check on Atlas.ti (is this a tool I can use?)
Sullender, R. (2010). Vicarious Grieving and the Media. Pastoral Psychology, 59(2), 191-200. doi: 10.1007/s11089-009-0227-5
Study objective: The aim of this article is, as noted by the author early in the piece, to frame and ask questions regarding the relationship between vicarious grief, modern day media and how the media and mass-culture influences how individuals relate to individual and communal grief and bereavement. The article focuses on the effects of the rapid growing and all-present, instantaneous nature of information diffusion by mass media and how this, when seen in light of what’s already known about vicarious grief (systems theory, and attachment theory) creates a near inverse pattern of reactions to natural vs. traumatic death.
Data: The author founds his analysis primarily on observations of behavioral responses to mass-media reports regarding loss and trauma. He uses knows sociological theories as a framework for his analysis and conclusions regarding positive, negative and potential long-term effects of the influence media has on humanity.
Discussion & conclusion: This article postulates that mourning is an innate human need finding expression through weeping, empathy, and communal rituals. The speed and nature of modern media disbursement of information gives ground for the development of desensitization of individuals and influences how we think and feel and behave when faced with grief and loss. Vicarious grief, often expressed from afar, more commonly expressed and ritualized when in relation to traumatic and violent deaths since the mass media do not often reference or portray natural death. Natural death is therefore becoming “un-natural” in that few people are exposed to the process of natural death. The author states that we are becoming a “death-denying and grief-avoiding” culture.
Other: Use in reference to the concept of VICARIOUS grieving! This article is not reporting on a traditional academic study per se, at least not as commonly seen in the sociology literature most. The article is based around a very narrow set of references, but paints a vivid picture of the interplay between grief/bereavement and individual experience and expression of said. Nice reference for theoretical foundation and framework for a study on social media and grief expressions. Somewhat weak in terms of academic “punch” due to the “personal pundit” effect of the writing style and many personal observations not anchored by citations to other studies. However, this remains a good article for me to reference because of the views reflected in the statements regarding the “death-denying and grief-avoiding” culture.