Tuesday 7/1: WIP Session on Grief and Recovery with Grace Helton
We talk about grief, constancy, and change.
Hi Everyone
Our next Emotion and Society Lab's Works In Progress session (and last of the academic year) is this Tuesday July 1, 2025 (2PM ET/11AM PT/7PM UK) with Grace Helton (University of Rochester), whose topic will be “Change and Constancy in Emotional Dynamics (with Grief as a Case Study).” The abstract and paper are below.
Also, check out the semester schedule.
ABSTRACT:
Recent empirical evidence suggests that adults typically recover from bereavement relatively quickly. Is the human tendency to recover quickly after bereavement an impressive example of human resilience, something to celebrate, as some have suggested? Or is this tendency rather a regrettable trait, a sign of human frailty or fickleness, as some other theorists have proposed? In this paper, I will scrutinize the core empirical assumption shared by both parties to this debate, namely, the view that typical adult grievers do indeed recover rapidly after bereavement. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including: population-level psychological studies, neuroscience results, and bereavement narratives, I will argue that while there is one respect in which most bereaved individuals recover quickly from their loss, there is another respect in which typical bereaved individuals never recover from their loss.
DOWNLOAD THE PAPER HERE:
The full schedule of the year is below.
Please do not cite without permission or share paper.
LOGISTICS
As is customary, the purpose of this email is to share a few logistical items in preparation for the workshop and the paper. This is a read-in-advance event.
We will begin on time (2PM ET/11AM PT/7PM UK). However, I will open up the Zoom meeting 10 minutes early for some chatter over tea. The session will last for 1 hour.
Feel free to come with any clarificatory questions, what the paper did well, possible objections, and/or suggestions for how the paper (the overall argument or sections) might be improved.
The presenter will start us off with an overview of the paper, and then questions will begin. We will rely on the hand raise feature and I will serve as moderator.
Don't be shy or feel that you can't contribute in fruitful ways. Trust yourself. (There are no hierarchies here.)
We may not get to everyone. If you are not called on, please email your feedback to the presenter directly. To not overwhelm them, it will be best to send constructive feedback with no expectations that a dialogue can be continued online. We don't want to overburden the presenter.
Be nice during the session. This is not a space to display rudeness or arrogance.
We may record the session at the discretion of the presenter. However, it will not be for public consumption. The presenter will use it as a digital form of archival note-taking so that your wonderful feedback is not forgotten.
ZOOM LINK
https://ucr.zoom.us/j/94783395292?pwd=R3BJQnkxY25tT2R0TmRqZWc4cjZGdz09
Meeting ID: 947 8339 5292
Passcode: 665359
-- Please do not share the Zoom link or paper with anyone. We ask that all attendees get on the WIP mailing list.
This year’s schedule:
Thanks, and see you soon!!
Myisha Cherry