Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement / Edition 8

by Michael R. Leming, George E. Dickinson

Overview

Using a social-psychological approach, the new edition of this book remains solidly grounded in theory and research, while also providing useful information to help individuals examine their own feelings about-and cope with-death and grieving. The well-known authors and researchers integrate stimulating personal accounts throughout the text, and apply concepts to specific examples that deal with cross cultural perspectives and the practical matters of death and dying.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781305094499
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	01/01/2015
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	624
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michael R. Leming, a professor emeritus of sociology and anthropology at St. Olaf College in Minnesota (USA), taught courses on death and dying for over 35 years. For nearly 20 years, he also directed the Spring Semester in Thailand, a program affiliated with Chiang Mai University. In addition to his B.A. from Westmont College, M.A. from Marquette University and Ph.D. from the University of Utah, he has done graduate study at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Dr. Leming is co-editor (with George E. Dickinson) of ANNUAL EDITIONS: DYING, DEATH AND BEREAVEMENT, 15th edition (McGraw-Hill, 2017) and co-author of UNDERSTANDING FAMILIES: DIVERSITY, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE (Allyn & Bacon, 1990; Harcourt Brace, 1995). He is also co-editor (with Raymond DeVries and Brendan Furnish) of THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: A VALUE-COMMITTED INTRODUCTION (Zondervan, 1989; Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2009). In 1995 Dr. Leming produced the documentary film "The Karen of Musikhee: Rabbits in the Mouth of the Crocodile". His most recent film project was a documentary on the Karen produced by the BBC, for which he was the chief research consultant. The founder and former director of the St. Olaf College Social Research Center, Dr. Leming is a former member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Coalition on Terminal Care and the Northfield AIDS Response, and he has served as a hospice educator, volunteer and grief counselor. During Minnesota s coldest months, he lives in Thailand.


George E. Dickinson, a professor of sociology at the College of Charleston, South Carolina (USA), has been teaching courses on death and dying for over 40 years and has been actively involved as a hospice educator. Prior to coming to the College of Charleston in 1985, he taught in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Kentucky. In addition to B.A. and M.A. degrees from Baylor University and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, he completed postdoctoral studies in gerontology at Pennsylvania State University, thanatology at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and medical sociology at the University of Connecticut. He was a visiting research fellow in palliative medicine at the University of Sheffield's School of Medicine in England in 1999, the International Observatory on End of Life Care in the Institute for Health Research at Lancaster University in England in 2006 and the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science s Department of Animal Behavior and Welfare in England in 2013. Dr. Dickinson has published approximately 100 articles in professional journals, primarily on end-of-life issues, and has co-authored other books with Michael Leming, as noted above. Additionally, with Brenda Sanders, he published AGING IN THE FAMILY (Taylor & Francis Publishers, 2019). Dr. Dickinson serves on the international editorial board of MORTALITY (UK) and on the editorial review board of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE (US). His honors include the 2003 and 2008 South Carolina Governor s Distinguished Professor Awards and the 2009 Death Educator Award from the Association of Death Education and Counseling. From the College of Charleston, he received the 2002 Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award and the 2008 Distinguished Research Award, and in 2018 he was the first recipient of the REACH program's Professor Recognition Award.

Table of Contents

1. Studying Dying, Death, and Bereavement. 2. The American Experience of Death. 3. Growing Up with Death/Growing Old with Death. 4. Perspectives on Death and Life after Death. 5. The Dying Process. 6. Living with Dying. 7. Dying in the American Health Care System. 8. Biomedical Issues and Euthanasia. 9. Suicide and Other Sudden, Unnatural Traumatic Deaths. 10. Diversity in Death Rituals. 11. The Business of Dying. 12. The Legal Aspects of Dying. 13. Coping With Loss. 14. Grieving Throughout the Life Cycle.

Editorial Reviews

This book does an excellent job of integrating and presenting empirical research on death-related topics. I would say that this book takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of death and dying, presenting a comprehensive review of key topics and issues in the field. The authors manage to cover the personal, social, cultural, legal, philosophical, spiritual, and ethical issues related to death and dying against the backdrop of empirical research and theory in the field. In addition to presenting basic facts and information, the authors offer practical advice that enables readers to understand and to cope with the problems and issues that arise in a world where death, dying, and bereavement are a reality.

I have used this book several times and have not found one that is as comprehensive or offers the cross cultural insights. I selected it because not only was it substantive, but it also introduced students to cross-cultural variations. Further, it went beyond the psychological issues of dying and bereavement, [and] provided a context for the ways in which people die and mourn and the consequences of dying, death, and loss to others.

From the Publisher