ABSTRACT
In chapter 4 we observed how the social network surrounding the bereaved is one of the external factors affecting the course of grief. Different social networks and different cultural groups deal with grief in different ways. We also noted that every culture has mourning rites and ways of handling a death. However, families and individuals vary in how much they are able to use the networks available to them, and also in how much they observe the rituals. In this chapter we focus on the value of mourning rituals and on the many different kinds current in Britain today.
