Handbook of the Sociology of Death, Grief, and Bereavement

The Handbook of the Sociology of Death, Grief, and Bereavement sets issues of death and dying in a broad and holistic social context. Its three parts explore classical sociology, developments in sociological thought, and the ways that sociological insights can be useful across a broad spectrum of grief-related topics and concerns. Guidance is given in each chapter to help spur readers to examine other topics in thanatology through a sociological lens. Scholars, students, and professionals will come away from the handbook with a nuanced understanding of the social context -cultural differences, power relations, the role of social processes and institutions, and various other sociological factors - that shape grief experiences.

Neil Thompson, PhD, DLitt, is a writer and online tutor and a visiting professor at Wrexham Glyndwr University, Wales, where he teaches on the MSc Advanced Practice in the Human Services. Gerry R. Cox, PhD, is professor emeritus of sociology/archaeology and former director of the Center for Death Education and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Contents Foreword - Dr. Bob Bendiksen, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Preface Acknowledgements The editors The contributors Introduction PART ONE Sociological Foundations Introduction to Part One - Emile Durkheim Michael Brennan, England, UK - Max Weber Jodie Croxall, Wales, UK and Michael Brennan, England, UK - Marxism Neil Thompson, Wales, UK - George Herbert Mead Gerry R. Cox, USA - Erving Goffman Gerry R. Cox, USA - Women's Contributions to Classical Sociology June Allan, Australia PART TWO Sociological Developments Introduction to Part Two - Michel Foucault Neil Thompson and Eryl Owen, Wales, UK - Pierre Bourdieu Neil Small, England, UK - Existentialism Neil Thompson, Wales, UK - Continuing Bonds Dennis Klass, USA - An Egalitarian Perspective Darcy Harris, Canada - Disenfranchised Grief Neil Thompson, Wales, UK and Kenneth Doka, USA PART THREE Contemporary Issues and Debates Introduction to Part Three - Dark Tourism Erin Dermody, Canada - Aging and Ageism Sue Thompson, Wales, UK - Alcohol and Other Drug Use Wulf Livingston, Wales, UK - Culturally Competent Practice Neil Thompson, Wales, UK - Toward a Sociology of Terrorism Gerry R. Cox, USA and Neil Thompson, Wales, UK - Is Grief a Disease? The Medicalization of Grief by the Psy-Disciplines in the 21st Century Leeat Granek, Israel - Being-in-the-World of the Sociological Imagination: Understanding Living with and Beyond Cancer Jan Pascal and Olivia Sagan, England, UK - Death, Grief, and Virtual Connections: The Role of Social Media for Social Support and Memorialization Kathleen R. Gilbert, USA - Infertility and Loss: Conception and Motherhood in the Era of Assisted Reproductive Technology Iris Po Yee Lo and Celia Hoi Yan Chan - The Demise of Accountability in Public Services: A Dilemma Exemplified by the Hidden Sepsis Crisis Paul Stepney, Finland - The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Grieving Neil Thompson, Wales, UK - A Cultural Sociological Review of Chinese Funeral Rituals Sharon Chan and Amy Chow, Hong Kong, China Afterword - Dr. Inge Corless, USA Index