Publiekelijk rouwen zonder zorgen, een paradox. De samenhang tussen algemene onvrede en sociale leefsituatie op publieke rouw.

Abstract

This study examines the influence of general discontent and social well-being on public mourning. A negative perception on society and ones own personal situation were hypothesized to correlate with the participation of public mourning activities.301 participants filled out a questionnaire where they scored societal issue items with a negative connotation regarding social issues like education, immigration, politics and social welfare. These findings were compared with their social well-being and the way they participated in acts of public mourning, like participating in a “silent walk” or signing a condolence on the internet. Results indicate that general discontent is positively associated with public mourning. General discontent was also mildly associated with social well-being. A small relation was found between general discontent and level of education. No significant correlation was found between social well-being and public mourning. This study concludes that further research should focus on a higher convergent validity for the discussed measures and the sampling process.