Life After Death: Experiences of Sibling Bereavement Over the Life Course

The sibling relationship is one of the longest and possibly most intimate relationships of a lifetime, capable of informing our sense of self and guiding how we are perceived by others. Due to the likely generational closeness of siblings and unique opportunity for shared familial experiences, brothers and sisters can be inimitably positioned within a person’s relational web. It therefore follows that the death of a sibling can have profound implications for any surviving brothers and/or sisters, initiating a bereavement experience unlike any other. Yet despite its potential significance, the sibling relationship is often overlooked within sociological study and the sibling bereavement experience is largely under studied in comparison to other familial relations. Consequently, it is important to acquire a far greater understanding than currently exists. This thesis therefore prioritises lived experiences of sibling bereavement, as articulated by the 36 participants interviewed. These rich narratives will complement the, currently dominant, medicalised understandings of bereavement by recognising the long-term, relational complexities of life following a death. By acknowledging that people are embedded in time and networks of relationships, bereavement is conceptualised as a highly relational experience, rather than a purely individual, psychological process. This thesis therefore positions itself at the intersection of death, identity, family and personal life literature, in order to enhance current understandings in each field by merging together these, usually separate, bodies of work, thus offering new insight and ideas.