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Life stories interrupted: an exploration of United States obituaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Source :
-
Mortality . Nov2024, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p867-884. 18p. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- The COVID-19 global pandemic drastically changed the lives of so many, including creating a sense of mass bereavement in the United States because of the million plus lives lost. As obituaries provide public documentation of personal legacies as well as serve to create a generational memory, this study sought to determine how obituaries, published in the United States during a public health crisis with excess deaths, discuss living and dying. We analysed 82 obituaries published in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine their functions during this time. These U.S. obituaries documented how the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the life stories of so many. Several key themes emerged in the obituaries – cause of death, COVID-19 changing lives, resilience/positivity, political statements, and thanking healthcare workers. These COVID-19 obituaries shared many of the known functions of obituaries, but they also served as public service death announcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13576275
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Mortality
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 180330225
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2023.2263381