Editorial - Understanding expressions of public grief: 'Mourning sickness', 'grief-lite', or something more?

Abstract

There is an old saying that the only thing we can be sure of in life is death. Death, bereavement, and grief are strongly culturally constructed, but intensely personal. The associated rituals and practices are often private or shared only with others directly affected by the bereavement. However, when we witness what has been referred to as 'public grief' (A'Court 2014), the issue of communal grief and how it is expressed comes to the fore. Over the past years, we have seen numerous episodes of public mourning: the death of Princess Diana, through to the more recent events in Martin Place, Sydney, Australia. This idea of communal grieving has been the subject of considerable scrutiny and quite extensive theorizing.