ABSTRACT
Ethical bonds transformation is a cultural phenomenon in Taiwanese bereaved families. When the death event occurs, the absent status of the deceased invokes spontaneous change in whole family to cope with the irreparable loss. In the present study, 283 bereaved individuals were recruited to develop the ethical bonds transformation scale. Exploratory factor analysis has generated two factors: ethical bonds and symbolic bonds. Partial correlation has shown that ethical bonds was positively correlated with post-grief growth and negatively correlated with most of the grief related symptoms, indicating that ethical bonds might be a protective factor in the family grief process.
ABSTRACT
In the present study, we used the phenomenological approach to rediscover the ontological meaning of relationships with the deceased in Taiwanese widows/widowers. We first revised the original Western definitions of grief, bereavement, and mourning to fit Taiwanese culture. We used the word bei dao to indicate the mixed nature of grief and mourning in the Taiwanese bereavement process. Then we reanalyzed data from a previous study, which was conducted in 2006. In the previous qualitative research, each subject was interviewed 3 to 4 times in the mourning state over an 18-month interval that began at the point of the spouse's death. Results showed that two main themes emerged in the present analysis: (a) a blurred boundary of life and death and (b) a transformation of ethical bonds. The present study reveals the culturally unique aspects of the Taiwanese bei dao process. Limitations of the present study and future directions are discussed and reflected.
