Introduction

In recent years, the subject of death and dying has become increasingly popular in the mass media. It appears that death is no longer, as it was once described (Lester 1967), a matter of indifference to the average person. Numerous popular articles describe the plight of families facing the dilemmas posed by hospitalization of dying relatives. The number of courses on dying and death offered to college students has multiplied. At the same time, there has been an increase in interest in this subject among physicians and social scientists who have produced a steady stream of articles and books.