Coping with bereavement of widows in the Chinese cultural context of Hong Kong

Petrus Y N Ng*, Wing Chung Ho, Angela O K Tsun, Daniel Young

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although Hong Kong has developed into a Westernized city, many widows still feel the strong pull of cultural demands in coping with the loss of their husbands. The purpose of this study was to explore how Chinese women in Hong Kong cope with bereavement and widowhood. Results reveal that the coping methods of the 26 participants are pragmatic and culturally dependent, and can be grouped into four categories, namely, remaining lonely and stigmatized, submitting to predestination and fate, seeking a transition from feeling aggrieved to active coping, and searching for new family relationships. The implications for social work practice are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)115-128
Number of pages14
JournalInternational Social Work
Volume59
Issue number1
Early online date24 Mar 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2016

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Sociology and Political Science

User-Defined Keywords

  • Bereavement
  • Chinese widows
  • conception of the family
  • coping with grief
  • Hong Kong

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