In this study, the experiences and perspectives of 10
bereaved mothers were investigated. The research was guided
by a feminist and contextual perspective. A contextual
theory of stress supports an examination of the perspectives
of individuals in families regarding the impact of stressful
circumstances. Individuals are assumed to be both active
and responsive to the social system which includes
individual, dyadic, familial, social, community, and
cultural levels of analysis. A feminist perspective
emphasizes reflexivity, collaboration, emotionality, and
accessibility in the process of research and focuses
attention to broader cultural ideologies which influence the
lives of individuals. Women's lives carry with them the
assumption of motherhood and the protection of children.
When a young child dies, mothers find themselves in a
marginalized social category