ABSTRACT

The Handbook of the Sociology of Death, Grief, and Bereavement sets issues of death and dying in a broad and holistic social context. Its three parts explore classical sociology, developments in sociological thought, and the ways that sociological insights can be useful across a broad spectrum of grief-related topics and concerns. Guidance is given in each chapter to help spur readers to examine other topics in thanatology through a sociological lens. Scholars, students, and professionals will come away from the handbook with a nuanced understanding of the social context –cultural differences, power relations, the role of social processes and institutions, and various other sociological factors – that shape grief experiences.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

part One|88 pages

Sociological Foundations

chapter 1|16 pages

Emile Durkheim

chapter 2|15 pages

Max Weber

chapter 3|14 pages

Marxism

chapter 4|13 pages

George Herbert Mead

chapter 5|12 pages

Erving Goffman

part Two|90 pages

Sociological Developments

chapter 7|13 pages

Michel Foucault

chapter 8|12 pages

Pierre Bourdieu

chapter 9|13 pages

Existentialism

chapter 10|18 pages

Continuing Bonds

chapter 11|18 pages

An Egalitarian Perspective

chapter 12|14 pages

Disenfranchised Grief

part Three|182 pages

Contemporary Issues and Debates

chapter 13|16 pages

Dark Tourism

chapter 14|14 pages

Aging and Ageism

chapter 15|13 pages

Alcohol and Other Drug Use

chapter 16|14 pages

Culturally Competent Practice

chapter 18|14 pages

Is Grief a Disease?

The Medicalization of Grief by the Psy-Disciplines in the Twenty-First Century

chapter 19|13 pages

Being-in-the-World of the Sociological Imagination

Understanding Living with and beyond Cancer

chapter 20|15 pages

Death, grief, and Virtual Connections

The Role of Social Media for Social Support and Memorialization

chapter 21|15 pages

(In)fertility and Loss

Conception and Motherhood in the Era of Assisted Reproductive Technology

chapter 22|16 pages

The Demise of Accountability in Public Services

A Dilemma Exemplified by the Hidden Sepsis Challenge

chapter |8 pages

Afterword

A Reflection on Death, Grief, and Bereavement