In the Face of Ambiguity: Exploring Young Adults’ Responses to Parental Incarceration

• In Event: The Use of Qualitative Methods in Life-Course and Developmental Research

Abstract

Introduction: Ambiguous loss is often defined as a sense of loss that carries a tremendous amount of uncertainty. In the context of parental incarceration, the removal of a parent can lead to uncertainty of a parent’s return and lack of closure with their physical absence. Therefore, this study explores the experiences of young adults who grapple with the complexity of ambiguous loss and stigma surrounding their parent’s incarceration.
Methods: Drawing from qualitative methodology, this study uses an interpretative phenomenological approach to examine how 19 young adults respond to the ambiguous loss of a parent while reframing their loss as an opportunity for growth.
Findings: The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how young adults of incarcerated parents create stigma management techniques to navigate the interplay of loss, grief, and stigma in their quest for belonging and resiliency.
Discussion: By centering these lived experiences of young adults, this research expands criminology’s understanding of the long-term social and emotional consequences of parental incarceration while offering strength-based recommendations on how to manage ambiguous loss and stigma within this family life context.

Author

• Melissa E. Noel, Temple University