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Lammon M. The Ashes of Tragedy: Parental Death and Child Character Development in Bambi and The Lion King. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2023:302228231202884. [PMID: 37713269 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231202884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
The Walt Disney company has been the topic of extensive research for decades; among the explored subjects and identified themes is Disney's fixation on death. Disney has capitalized on the incredibly traumatic childhood experience of the death of a parent by featuring parental death as a major narrative component. Speculation remains regarding the accuracy of not only death presentations in media, but death influence on characters. Using textual analysis, this paper explores the role of parental death on child character development within two Disney animated films. Analysis demonstrates an inaccurate depiction of parental death influence on children in a positive light - essentially overlooking the trauma associated with loss during childhood and the mediating factors of long-term bereavement outcomes. Conversations remain to be had regarding how these inaccurate depictions of death and dying in popular culture influence the children consuming them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Lammon
- Department of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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Menendez D, Klapper RE, Golden MZ, Mandel AR, Nicholas KA, Schapfel MH, Silsby OO, Sowers KA, Sumanthiran D, Welch VE, Rosengren KS. "When will it be over?" U.S. children's questions and parents' responses about the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256692. [PMID: 34437619 PMCID: PMC8389399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Parent-child conversations are important for children's cognitive development, children's ability to cope with stressful events, and can shape children's beliefs about the causes of illness. In the context of a global pandemic, families have faced a multitude of challenges, including changes to their routines, that they need to convey to their children. Thus, parent-child conversations about the coronavirus pandemic might convey information about the causes of illness, but also about how and why it is necessary for children to modify their behaviors to comply with new social norms and medical guidance. The main goal of this study was to examine the questions children ask about the COVID-19 pandemic and how parents answer them. This survey included responses from a national sample of 349 predominantly white parents of children between the ages of 3 and 12 recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk in United States. Parents reported that although children asked about COVID-19 and its causes (17.3%), children asked primarily about lifestyle changes that occurred as a result of the pandemic (24.0%) and safety (18.4%). Parents reported answering these questions by emphasizing that the purpose of different preventative measures was to protect the child (11.8%) or the family (42.7%) and providing reassurance (13.3%). Many parents discussed how it was their social responsibility to slow the spread of the virus (38.4%). Parents of younger children tended to shield them from information about COVID-19 (p = .038), while parents with more knowledge were more likely to provide explanations (p < .001). Our analysis shows that families not only discuss information about the virus but also information about changes to their lifestyle, preventative measures, and social norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Menendez
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Rebecca E. Klapper
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Michelle Z. Golden
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Ava R. Mandel
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Katrina A. Nicholas
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria H. Schapfel
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Olivia O. Silsby
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Kailee A. Sowers
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Dillanie Sumanthiran
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Victoria E. Welch
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Karl S. Rosengren
- Department of Psychology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
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