Grief, Photography and Meaning Making: A Psychological Constructivist Approach

This article examines the value of using photography as both a methodological and therapeutic tool for theconstruction – andstudy – ofmeaningsafteradeath-relatedloss.A study case, consisting of narratives of mourning elicited through a personal photo diary and afollow-upinterview,willbeanalysedinlightof fivekeyadvantagesofusingphotographyto study grief experiences according to a social constructivist approach. These advantages are (1) agency in the search for meaning; (2) the role of photography as a tool for scaffolding narratives of loss; (3) the role of photography in preserving the continuing bonds with the deceased;(4) theroleofphotography astechnology oftheselffor emotionalself-regulation and (5) photography as a process in the reviewing of the contextualised experience.