The Emotional Rollercoaster and the Missing Persons’ Relatives’ Readiness to Act

Abstract

The article aims to reveal the emotions visible in the narratives of the relatives of long-lost persons. The empirical basis for the deliberations herein is the author’s ongoing research, the purpose of which is to describe the social world of families of missing persons, with particular reference to the category of action. The observations and conclusions from the preliminary analysis of the data obtained from the seven narrative interviews are supported by conclusions from the research which has so far been carried out by British and Australian scientists. The experienced emotions were confronted with the readiness for search activity. In the presented interpretation of the author’s own research, reference was made to Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration, in particular that part of it referring to the stratification model of acting entities, practical awareness, and discursive social actors. The level of unconscious motives has been deliberately omitted as it is difficult to grasp in the study. The analysis of the narrative about the experience of a loved one being missing allows for considering the felt emotions as the catalysts of explorative activities. Out of the emotions which were isolated, only shame is an obstacle to action.