Digital Supports as an Amplifier of Norms in the Process of Acknowledging Perinatal Deaths
Consideration of the issue of perinatal deaths has fostered the introduction of new and often original forms of expression of loss and mourning. This article focuses on identifying the place of digital tools in such an experience. The question is whether they lead to the creation of new norms in the use of these digital media or to the reinforcement of existing norms. Based on two studies on perinatal death in France, we analyzed the discourse of perinatal mourners about their use of digital tools, both when they evoke the moment of loss and in the events that follow. These uses are not solely a derivative to make up for a lack of consideration that forces the people in question to turn to the digital environment, as this recourse also takes place in administrative environments, especially cemeteries, with a view to co-constructing norms. The steps taken by the mourners and the institutional mechanisms go hand in hand and promote shared normative rules. Ultimately, using digital media does not lead to dematerialization, but rather to a rematerialization in the form of labile materialities that reinforce the norms of perinatal mourning.