男性喪偶者的悲傷不同於女性嗎？

本研究旨在探討喪偶者之悲傷反應，比較兩性喪偶者悲傷反應之異同，並批判所謂男性化悲傷與女性化悲傷的謬誤。本研究採用深度訪談法，總共訪談五位男性喪偶者與五位女性喪偶者，他（她）們均沒再婚、有子女、有職業或當志工，年齡從37歲至71歲。其主要研究結果如下：1.受訪之喪偶者在喪偶的當下情境表現得比較理性，如鎮定如常；在喪偶的後續情境表現得比較感性，如傷心哭泣。2.受訪之男性喪偶者比較感性而容易流淚，傾向流露情感；女性喪偶者比較理性而會強忍哭泣，傾向節制情感。3.受訪之喪偶者大多不願向外尋求情感支持，女性比男性更不願意向外尋求情感支持。本研究之結論為：詮釋兩性悲傷行為，宜以「理性」取代男性化，以「感性」取代女性化；而調適較佳的喪偶者，通常兼具理性與感性的特質。

關鍵字

女性化悲傷；女性喪偶者（寡婦）；男性化悲傷；男性喪偶者（鰥夫）；悲傷反應

並列摘要

This study aimed to compare and contrast the grief reactions of widowed men and women and critique the arguable notions of masculine grief and feminine grief. In-depth interviews were conducted individually with 5 widowers and 5 widows aged 37 to 71, none of whom remarried. All 10 had children and were either employed or participated in volunteer work. Primary results include: At the moment of spousal bereavement, grief reactions typically started as seemingly more rational (such as appears unaffected) and later, transitioned to more emotional reactions (such as crying). Second, widowers tended to express their feelings more, while widows tended to suppress their emotions. Third, all of those widowed were reluctant to seek emotional support from the outside, and this was significantly more pronounced in widows compared to widowers. To conclude, the present essay argues that masculine and feminine grief would benefit from being recoined rational and emotional grief, respectively, as a more appropriate and accurate description of grief reactions and the grieving process. Moreover, well-adjusted widowers or widows usually combine both rational and emotional forms of grief.