Blog Post #2 Inquiry: Project Plan

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today I am setting up my project plan to set me up for success this term!

My question is: How does grief change a person’s sense of identity after the loss of a parent?

Step 1: Psychological Foundations of Grief and Identity (Research Round #1 / Blog #3)

For my first research round, I will explore psychological theories of grief and identity development. This includes stages and models of grief, as well as how identity is formed during adolescence and young adulthood. Understanding these foundations will help me explain why grief can impact a person’s sense of self after losing a parent. This step will provide the background knowledge needed to frame my inquiry in a research-based way rather than relying only on personal experience.

Step 2: Personal Experiences and Social Impacts of Parental Loss (Research Round #2 / Blog #4)

In my second research round, I will focus on studies, interviews, and narratives that describe how individuals experience identity changes after parental loss. I will examine how roles within families shift, how responsibilities increase, and how relationships with others may change. This information will help show how identity changes occur in real life and how grief affects people differently depending on age, circumstances, and support systems.

Step 3: Long-Term Effects and Meaning-Making After Loss (Research Round #3 / Blog #5)

For my final research round, I will investigate how people integrate grief into their identity over time. This includes resilience, meaning making, and post traumatic growth. I will explore whether grief can lead to increased empathy, emotional depth, or changes in values. This step will help answer how identity continues to evolve long after the initial loss and whether grief can shape a person in both challenging and meaningful ways.

Possible Sources:

1. https://www.apa.org/topics/grief
2. https://www.apa.org/topics/families/grief
3. http://hospicewhispers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/NiemeyerGriefTheory.pdf
4. https://lifegivingwounds.org/blog/grief-identity-and-security
5. https://www.anchortherapy.org/blog/how-does-grief-affect-your-identity-hoboken-grief-counseling

Thank you for reading! I am looking forward to researching and learning more as well as seeing everyone else’s posts throughout this term 🙂