The sociology of acceptance revisited: "there must have been something because I grieve so!"

Caring for a person may result in emotions for that person. When Helen died, her staff experienced deep sorrow. The authors interviewed the staff, asking to what extent R. Bogdan and S. J. Taylor's (1987) sociology of acceptance could help them understand how accepting ties are made and maintained. Because R. Bogdan and S. J. Taylor mainly looked at relationships within foster families and friendships, the authors broaden the perspectives by examining a case where the relationship was between a resident and her staff in the now-typical Norwegian community-living setting for people with intellectual disabilities. After interviewing staff about how the resident interacted with these other, "typical" people, the authors maintain that acceptance is not only the doings of those without the intellectual disability. The authors acknowledge that a full understanding of accepting relationships requires the perspectives of both parties.