The group narrative of bereavement: hypothesis about competition of social narrative and family narrative models

Abstract

A hypothesis is herewith introduced in order to discuss the influences on group narrative construction by social models or else natural groups [i.e.: families]. Three postulates explore how these two models shape and compete in the narrative construction of bereavement. It is proposed that since a “social model” of transmission of stories weakens individuals and groups in their speech mastery acquisition and enhances dependency to social regulation of narrative, stereotyped and rigid versions of reality denying the nature of bereavement are imposed. In contrast, “narrative family models” of storytelling evolve into good functioning patterns by allowing all members of a group to potentially contribute to the group narrative by fostering person-to-person communication in order to join at the reconstruction of reality that is to be particularly challenged at bereavement. Such personal and family/ small group narratives had been always grown while subject to dominant social systems’ narratives that, especially since contemporary technological advance, has at hand all means to possibly replace completely the former.