The Revival of Death - Softcover

Walter, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415118549 ISBN 13: 9780415118545

Publisher: Routledge, 1994

Synopsis

The current revival of interest in death seeks ultimate authority in the individual self. This is the first book to comprehensively examine this revival and relate it to theories of modernity and postmodernity.

About this title

Review:

..."a useful and interesting book...Written with care, insight, and well-referenced, the book takes the reader through issues of dying and how culture influences our attitudes and behavior toward death...an excellent supplement for courses on death and dying."
-"Contemporary Psychology
"Walter has written a provocative, rich book... Anyone who attends closely to Walter's book will be in a better position to respond when a doctor tries to set him straight, or a nurse offers help, "at no cost to you..""
-"Contemporary Sociology

Synopsis:

The frequent assertions that death is taboo are actually evidence of a revival of interest in dying and bereavement. traditional religious discourses lack plausibility, yet modern medical and bureaucratic discourses fail to tally with the personal experience of many dying and bereaved individuals. The current revival, while reinstating some traditional practices and retaining professional expertise, seeks ultimate authority elsewhere: in the individual self. The new death is personal, facilitated by palliative care, the life-centred funeral, and bereavement counselling. How though are we to know how to die and to grieve? What role do professional carers and psychological theories play in shaping the experiences of dying and bereaved persons? How do such persons learn from each other? This is the first book to comprehensively examine the revival and relate it to theories of modernity and postmodernity. The book will be of interest not only to social scientists but to anyone learning to care for the dying, the dead or the bereaved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0415118549
• ISBN 13: 9780415118545
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240