ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the social context of different types of loss experiences, including experiences that occur as a result of social policies, pressures, and conflict with established social norms within given locations. It addresses specific types of non-death loss, including ambiguous loss, nonfinite loss, chronic sorrow, and tangible/intangible non-death losses. The book provides vocabulary and descriptions to help individuals articulate their losses, both in the identification of what has actually been lost and in the depth of their loss experience. It discusses the concept of political grief, exploring the political climate in the United States, where deep divisions and polarization have been created by the ideology and practices of the populist governmental movement. The book describes the concept of social death, which is a unique form of non-death loss that is socially defined and determined.
