ABSTRACT
The systematic study of the child’s attachment to its mother in early childhood
has revolutionised not only our understanding of mother-child relationships but
the very nature of relationships and the problems to which they can give rise. In
this chapter, I summarize some of the findings of what is now a large body of
research and show how it has important implications for the care of the dying
and bereaved and for a wider range of attachments, including attachments to
God, homes, and nations.
