Erika Knorr

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Research Project

The Social Constructs of Grief

Bio

My name is Erika Knorr. I am a fourth-year Professional Communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University. I have decided to study how society shapes the grief process, inspired by my encounters with grief. After losing my dad, I began to understand how isolating the grief journey can be and was motivated to further understand how other’s grief journeys are shaped by society and how society could do better to support those grappling with loss.

Research Summary

A text analysis was undertaken, examining 10 TikTok videos wherein creators shared their personal encounters with grief. From each video, 10 comments were selected, resulting in a total of 100 comments. These comments underwent analysis to identify recurring themes and discern whether the overall response to grief tended towards supportiveness or lack thereof.

Research Poster

A capstone project poster titled 'The Social Constructs of Grief' by Erika Knorr, Toronto Metropolitan University, set against a warm sky background with a flying bird silhouette. The poster investigates how societal factors influence the grieving process, using a text analysis of 100 comments from 10 TikTok videos on grief. Research questions include common themes in comments, online responses, and perceived support. Results highlight three recurring themes, predominantly from users grappling with grief. A pie chart illustrates these themes: Theme 3 (54%) is 'Desperation, overwhelmed & lack of progression'; Theme 2 (30%) is 'Thankful, positive & supportive'; and Theme 1 (16%) is 'Pressure to move on & lack of support.' The conclusion states that online platforms like TikTok are used to express emotions due to a broader societal deficiency in adequate grief support, recommending that understanding grief be a societal priority.

Lightning Talk

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