Managing College Amid Grief: College students’ academic experiences after the death of a companion animal

• In Event: 40863 - Animals Across Sociological Inquiry

Abstract

Young people across the United States are increasingly socialized in multispecies families where animals are constructed as family members (Irvine & Cilia, 2017; Laurent-Simpson, 2021). Among college students, companion animals occupy important roles: they serve as family members, best friends, sources of therapeutic relief, and motivation for productivity. What happens when they experience the death of this animal? While we know a bit about how college students grieve the loss of human family members, few studies examine how they navigate college after the death of their companion animals. The death of a companion animal may shape students’ productivity, as well as how and whether students request accommodations from professors. To address this gap, we interviewed young people about the loss of their companion animals while in college. Our findings highlight the important connections people have with their family members, the deep grief many people experience during the loss of a companion animal and the lack of social and institutional support for individuals experiencing this grief. Our findings suggest ways that higher education can better support students coping with grief.

Authors

• Carol L. Glasser, Minnesota State University-Mankato

• Yana Kuchirko, CUNY-Brooklyn College

• Rohit Paruchuri,

• Sachita Pokhrel

• Emily Marie Boyd, Minnesota State University-Mankato

• Samuel Agre