Masters Julie L, Toller Paige W, O'Leary Lauren
Department of Gerontology, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.
Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2023 Oct 2;44(4):588-601. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2022.2119227. Epub 2022 Sep 8.
This exploratory study examined how twenty-two undergraduate students and fifty-six older adults experienced discussing dying, death, and the COVID-19 pandemic with one another, using the book as a conversational guide. The timing of these conversations is significant as discussions took place in March 2021, one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis of students' and older adult's reflections on the discussion was employed and three themes were identified: the inevitability of death, gaining and giving perspective, and the importance of relationships. The pandemic was especially influential within two of the three themes. The findings highlight the benefits of bringing previously unknown people together to engage in conversations about dying and death during the pandemic using contemporary literature. This study also presents a pedagogical technique for educators to use to help students engage in discussions about death and dying.
这项探索性研究考察了22名本科生和56名老年人如何以这本书为对话指南，相互交流关于死亡、临终以及新冠疫情的话题。这些对话的时机很重要，因为对话发生在2021年3月，即新冠疫情爆发一年后。研究采用了主题分析法，对学生和老年人关于此次讨论的反思进行分析，确定了三个主题：死亡的必然性、获得和给予观点以及人际关系的重要性。在这三个主题中的两个主题里，疫情的影响尤为显著。研究结果凸显了在疫情期间让此前互不相识的人聚在一起，利用当代文学作品展开关于死亡和临终的对话所带来的益处。本研究还为教育工作者提供了一种教学技巧，以帮助学生参与有关死亡和临终的讨论。
