Response to the death of Princess Diana of Wales: A phenomenological study

Jada D Vaughan, Tennessee State University

Abstract

The response to the death of Princess Diana of Wales on August 31, 1997, was a phenomenon unprecedented in terms of media coverage and mass public grief around the world. A phenomenological study design was used to obtain descriptions of the lived experiences of persons affected by the death of Princess Diana. Nine coding categories were derived from open-ended interviews with participants and subsequently condensed into five themes of (1) grief; (2) attributes and perceptions of Diana; (3) social identification; (4) media; and, (5) existential issues. Findings indicate that the participants experienced typical grief reactions, as well as vicarious grief, especially for her sons. Participants had strong personal and social identification with Diana and her death created in them a heightened sense of their own mortality.

Subject Area

Social psychology

Recommended Citation

Jada D Vaughan, "Response to the death of Princess Diana of Wales: A phenomenological study" (2000). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI3024636.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3024636

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