First Advisor
Tina D.L. Burdsall
Date of Award
Spring 6-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology and University Honors
Department
Psychology
Language
English
Subjects
Bereavement, Surveillance, Legitimacy, Self-Monitoring, Higher Education
Abstract
This study examines how grief is silenced, monitored, and regulated within higher education settings. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students who experienced the death of someone significant, this study explores how institutional expectations surrounding productivity, professionalism, emotional control, and academic functioning shape grief disclosure, emotional expression, and help-seeking behaviors. Using a critical theoretical framework informed by concepts of disenfranchised grief, legitimacy hierarchies, and surveillance, findings suggest that grief within higher education is not simply individually experienced, but socially and institutionally regulated. Participants described academic environments that often left little space for ongoing grief, requiring students to compartmentalize emotional distress, maintain performance, and carefully monitor how grief was expressed or disclosed. Findings further suggest that institutional recognition of grief is unevenly distributed, with some losses receiving greater legitimacy and support than others based on relationship type, social interpretation, and institutional familiarity. Participants also described uncertainty surrounding accommodations, inconsistent faculty responses, and pressures to justify or translate grief into institutionally recognizable forms before support could be given. Together, these findings suggest that higher education institutions often treat grief as a private disruption rather than a constant aspect of student life. This study contributes to existing bereavement literature by examining grief as a socially regulated process shaped by institutional power structures, legitimacy hierarchies, and expectations surrounding emotional and academic functioning.
Recommended Citation
Grey, Rakhi, "Grief, Silence, and Surveillance in Academic Settings" (2026). University Honors Theses. Paper 1841.