Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the resilience processes intersection with the grieving experience by delving into narratives of loss from women in my family and extended family, including myself, and a few women (e.g., grandmother) with whom I share a significant relationship. Through the use of auto/ethnography, I identified communicative resources that enable these women to reintegrate from disruption to construct and enact resilience. I also developed my own identity and cultivated my own resilience to help myself enact anticipatory resilience, specifically by using stories as a resource for resilience. Finally, the stories that I shared in this project are able to resonate with people, women in particular, who have experienced or are experiencing similar struggles, which may facilitate their meaning making.
Advisor
Tian, Zhenyu
Department
Communication Studies
Recommended Citation
Gornall, Beth, "Ordinary Women Making Ordinary Magic: Loss and Resilience Through Auto/Ethnography" (2025). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11360.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11360
Keywords
Resilience, Communication Theory of Resilience, grief, loss, auto/ethnography, relational communication
Publication Date
2025
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2025 Beth Gornall