The purpose of this study was to examine the grief-related communication on Facebook memorial group walls. Three research questions guided the study as I sought to explore general characteristics of messages posted, how people regarded their own participation in the groups, and characteristics of Transcorporeal Communication (TcC), the communication between the living and the deceased.
To respond to the research questions, I used grounded theory methods and asynchronous online interviews. I also utilized several of Goffman’s notions of human behavior to provide a more thorough analysis of the communication in the groups. In the pilot study, I used grounded theory methods to examine messages directed to the deceased on 10 memorial group walls. Analysis of a second set of walls challenged and tested the initial themes discerned in the pilot study. This resulted in the identification of 12 message themes. In addition to writing messages to the deceased, people wrote to other group members, utilizing task and relational messages as well as identity statements. People who did not know the deceased, the Emotional Rubberneckers, also wrote on the walls. To explore people’s participation in the groups, I conducted online, asynchronous interviews with five people who wrote regularly on Facebook memorial group walls. Interviewees indicated that their relationship and communication with the deceased remained similar to the relationship and communication that they had with the deceased before he or she died.
Wall analysis and interviews revealed that people posted messages to multiple audiences: the self, the deceased, group members and “lurkers.” Due to the numerous audiences, the wall posts served various functions. These overarching objectives included grieving, maintaining relational continuity, giving or receiving social support, and Rubbernecking.
Analysis of the walls and interviews also indicated that individuals utilized a unique form of communication, TcC, as they wrote messages to the deceased. This act raised theoretical questions about the nature of the communication. I posited a model of TcC and its components, including continued bonds, the deceased’s presence, and the inner representation of the deceased. The study concludes with a discussion of its limitations and suggestions for future research.