title: Meaning making in the aftermath of homicide.
abstract: Although sense making or finding benefit are well documented examples of meaning making processes, meaning making grounded in action has received less attention. This article adds a specific demonstration of the relevance of performed meanings to homicide survivors and other traumatized populations through a qualitative study of 38 members of 14 families. The central finding of the study points to "the intense pursuit of what matters" as a major avenue for meaning making in the aftermath of homicide, one which is expressed in action. Implications of this mode of meaning reconstruction are discussed relative to the re-establishment of a sense of coherence and self-continuity.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. marmour@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Armour
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D026686:Beneficence; D001601:Bereavement; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States