Echoes of death: an autoethnography of a father–son odyssey in marketing academia

Purpose This study explores the inner feelings of a marketing doctoral student coping with socio-emotional issues arising out of the trauma of experiencing the death of a loved one (i.e. a son dealing with the sudden death of his father). Design/methodology/approach By employing the “dialogue with the deceased” technique, the study presents reflections and narratives that might help doctoral students and university administrators to better understand the struggles of doctoral students belonging to the Global South while experiencing the death of a loved one. Findings A mechanism that might help university administrators to better understand the grief experienced by doctoral students, the role of PhD supervisors, intellectual yoga in isolation and communal support as a social event for doctoral students coping with trauma are the key takeaways. Originality/value The use of autoethnographic reflection as a method of inquiry to study the death of a loved one and its implications for success in doctoral education and social studies is unique to this study.