LEADER 04067cam a2200349 a 4500001 27273 005 20240621143421.0 008 980217s1995 xx a 000 0 eng d 035 27273 040 LHM |beng |erda |cLHM 090 RC451.4.H62 |bS747 1995 100 1 Stern, Ziva Y. 245 14 The experience of parenthood among children of Holocaust survivors : |breworking a traumatic legacy / |cZiva Y. Stern. 264 1 [Place of publication not identified] : |b[publisher not identified], |c1995. 300 xii, 180 pages 336 text |btxt |2rdacontent 337 unmediated |bn |2rdamedia 338 volume |bnc |2rdacarrier 502 Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, 1995. 504 Includes bibliographical references (pages 172-180). 520 This phenomenological, exploratory study was designed to investigate adult children of Holocaust survivors' (COHS) subjective experience of parenthood, filling an important gap in the literature on the intergenerational consequences of trauma. Ten COHS with children below age 12 were recruited through Jewish organizations and by word of mouth. Six women and 4 men, ages 34 to 43, participated. Semi-structured interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and reviewed for recurring themes. Results encompassed three areas: (a) participants generally described their survivor parents as evidencing both signs of the harm wrought by the Holocaust and coping capacities; (b) most participants reported that the Holocaust affected them personally, in some significant ways; and (c) parenthood for COHS involves unique challenges and rewards. Participants reported that, as parents, they have thoughts, feelings, and images about the persecution of children, parents, and grandparents, aspects of the Holocaust upon which they had not previously focused. Some participants described an empathic process of identification with these Holocaust victims, with accompanying feelings of sorrow, mourning, and vulnerability. Parenthood thus introduced a need to rework aspects of the Holocaust trauma. The Holocaust intruded upon the participants' everyday experiences of parenthood to varying degrees. Enjoyable and healing aspects of the experience of parenthood, also noted by the participants, emphasized familial and cultural continuity. Finally, participants voiced concerns about how to educate their children about the Holocaust, and about inadvertently "transmitting" traumatic effects. Discussion explored alternative understandings of the varied extent of participants' "secondary traumatization." Possible explanations, considered separately and in interaction, involved: survivor (e.g., age during war, extent of verbal communication about experiences), COHS (e.g., temperament, willingness to bear witness, personal history of traumatic losses), and environmental (e.g., support networks) variables. Several lenses were applied, including family systems, and theories of secondary trauma. Recommendations for future research include investigating how COHS' Holocaust-related thoughts, feelings, and imagery influence parent-child interaction, and qualitative studies of how other developmental challenges interact with a family history of trauma. Implications for clinical practice stress the need for therapists to signal their openness to hearing about the influence of the Holocaust on COHS' experience of parenthood. 530 Electronic version(s) |bavailable internally at USHMM. 533 Photocopy. |bAnn Arbor, Mich. : |cUMI Dissertation Services, |d1997. |e22 cm. 590 Dissertations and Theses 591 Record updated by Marcive processing 21 June 2024 650 0 Children of Holocaust survivors |xPsychology. 650 0 Children of Holocaust survivors |xFamily relationships. 650 0 Parenting |xPsychological aspects. 650 0 Adaptability (Psychology) 956 41 |uhttp://dc.ushmm.org/library/bib27273/9536354.pdf |zHosted by USHMM. 852 0 |bstacks |hRC451.4.H62 S747 1995 852 |bebook