ERIC Number: EJ729505
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Apr
Pages: 25
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-1187
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Content Analysis of Free-Response Narratives to Personal Meanings of Death among Chinese Children and Adolescents
Yang, Shu Ching; Chen, Shih-Fen
Death Studies, v30 n3 p217-241 Apr 2006
The study explores development of the concept of death among 204 Chinese children and adolescents and analyzes the relationships between death concept development and background variables. A coding manual for content analysis of death constructs adapted from R. A. Neimeyer et al. (1983) was used to classify each construct in the paragraphs written by participants regarding their views of death. The 6 categories most frequently identified were Internal Causality, Negative Emotion State, External Causality, Nonexistence, Negative Body State, and Existence. Death-related experiences did not significantly influence concepts regarding death, while significant differences emerged as a function of grade, gender, religion, and family death discussion for several death constructs. Compared with earlier American samples, Chinese children and adolescents identified less with choice and purposeful death constructs and were less likely to view death in terms of personal choice and morals or in terms of psychological or natural meaning. Whether the differences were due to cultural, methodological or age factors deserves further study. Finally, this study concludes with some recommendations for the future study of death constructs. (Contains 6 tables.)
Descriptors: Concept Formation, Adolescents, Content Analysis, Emotional Response, Foreign Countries, Children, Death, Personal Narratives, Student Attitudes, Age Differences, Gender Differences, Comprehension, Religious Factors
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China; Taiwan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A