配偶者との死別研究に関する性差の視座 : 男性にとっての配偶者との死別経験とは何か

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to review the research of spousal bereavement and search for the process and mechanism of bereavement, especially of men. Nowadays, a lot of researchers state that men become more vulnerable than women after the spousal bereavement. Firstly, I looked at the former bereavement researches about gender differences. These provided differences about coping styles and social support. However, after surveying the former demonstrated researches, not all agree with vulnerability of widowers on the points of mentality, physical symptoms and illness and mortality. Though men's vulnerability after the spousal bereavement resulted in the negative, there is ample room to investigate the gender differences. Judged with the life-course viewpoint, the vast majority of men tend to get married to younger women and die earlier than their wives. If this is correct, it is thought that men tacitly plan to live in the company of their wives. To clarify the process and mechanism of bereavement, the important thing is not only to study the reaction after the loss of spouse, but also to initiate research about the change of recognition before the loss of spouse and the process of making meaning about life-course and bereavement experience.