The Study of Dying: From Autonomy to Transformation - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521517672 ISBN 13: 9780521517676

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2009

Synopsis

What is it really like to die? Though our understanding about the biology of dying is complex and incomplete, greater complexity and diversity can be found in the study of what human beings encounter socially, psychologically and spiritually during the experience. Contributors from disciplines as diverse as social and behavioural studies, medicine, demography, history, philosophy, art, literature, popular culture and religion examine the process of dying through the lens of both animal and human studies. Despite common fears to the contrary, dying is not simply an awful journey of illness and decline; cultural influences, social circumstances, personal choice and the search for meaning are all crucial in shaping personal experiences. This intriguing volume will be of interest to clinicians, professionals, academics and students of death, dying and end-of-life care, and anyone curious about the human confrontation with mortality.

About this title

Review:

'... eloquent book ... an even-handed analysis ... The Study of Dying is a well-crafted book that looks at demise from all sorts of angles.' Journal of the American Medical Association

'This interdisciplinary collection of chapters makes a valuable contribution to understanding the social experience of dying. Acknowledging that there is limited work which addresses the experience of dying specifically, the contributors achieve the collection's central aim of exploring the diversity and complexities that shape 'dying as a particular form of social life and experience' (p.1) ... Drawing together perspectives from a range of disciplines, including religion, literature, history and medicine, the volume provides a nuanced and thoughtful picture of current knowledge about the dying process.' Network, magazine of the British Sociological Association

'... the strength of this edited collection is its multidisciplinary approach to dying and the range of fascinating ideas and evidence contained within it.' Sociology of Health & Illness

Book Description:

What is it really like to die? This intriguing volume brings together research from several disciplines on what we know about dying. Examining what human beings encounter socially, psychologically and spiritually, it shows how cultural influences, social circumstances and personal choice shape the experience.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0521517672
• ISBN 13: 9780521517676
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 300
• Editor: Kellehear Allan