Death, Dying and Bereavement

`A fine course reader for the Open University course on Death and Dying. It is a collection of articles from every perspective′ - Social Innovations

`Provides a richly woven tapestry of personal, professional and literary accounts of death, dying and bereavement′ - Health Psychology Update

`Easy to read and refer to; it can be read in sections and made me think of issues about bereavement that I hadn′t considered. It has poems and personal accounts of grief which reminded me that bereavement is not just a topic to be learned about but a personal life event that touches us all′ - Nursing Standard

`Offers a unique collection of factual information, research, stories, poems and personal reflections. It is unusual to experience such a diversity of writings in one book and, if they were not so expertly arranged, they might prove bewildering to the reader′ - Nursing Times

`This book is clearly written for a multi-disciplinary studentship. It brings together the knowledge and skills from a multi-occupational group and thereby offers an opportunity, to whoever reads it, to enable better experiences for those who are dying and bereaved′ - Journal of Interprofessional Care

`Neither a clinical guide nor an academic critique, this unusual book is a scholarly compilation of 65 separate writings expressing diverse viewpoints on the complex human issues surrounding death.... The layout of the parts, along with the introduction and index, not only makes casual exploration easy but also lends the collection a sense of coherence, even completeness, for which the authors should be commended.... In summary, by approaching their subject through many perspectives - historical, medical, sociological, legal, theological and personal - Dickenson and Johnson have created a thoroughly readable, informative and enjoyable book which, at an affordable price, will hopefully open up new avenues of inquiry for a very wide readership. For those trying to help the dying and bereaved, this volume will inspire and move you as much as it will inform and guide your work′ - Bereavement Care

`Provides a unique overview, and in many areas, penetrating insights into various aspects of death, dying and bereavement. Aimed primarily at Open University students the book will undoubtedly find its way onto other academic courses and become a valuable reference text for professionals and laypersons caring for the dying and the bereaved. One of its major strengths is that it brings together a wide and varied discourse on death across cultures and through time.... The juxtaposition and brevity of the articles gives the reader freedom to concentrate on whole sections or merely to ′dip in and out′ of areas of interest to them′ - British Journal of SociologyThis remarkable and novel collection of essays will be of great interest to all those concerned with the issues surrounding death, and in particular, to those directly involved in the support of dying or bereaved people, whether as paid carers, family members, friends or volunteers.

Death, Dying and Bereavement addresses both the practical and metaphysical aspects of death. Topics such as new methods of pain relief, guidelines for breaking bad news and current attitudes to euthanasia are considered, while the mystery of death and its wider implications are also explored.

A highly distinctive interdisciplinary approach is adopted, including perspectives from literature, theology, sociology and psychology. By drawing together information, reflection and experience, this authoritative text will broaden the understanding of a subject area that society has chosen to deny.

Death, Dying and Bereavement is the course reader for the Open University course Death and Dying.