Once regarded as taboo, it is now claimed that we are a death-obsessed society. The face of death in the 21st century, brought about by cultural and demographic change and advances in medical technology, presents health and social care practitioners with new challenges and dilemmas.

By focusing on predominant patterns of dying; global images of death; shifting boundaries between the public and the private; and cultural pluralism, the author looks at the way death is handled in contemporary society and the sensitive ethical and practical dilemmas facing nurses, social workers, doctors and chaplains. This book brings together perspectives from social science, health-care and pastoral theology to assist the reader in understanding and negotiating this 'new death'.

End-of-life care and old age, changing funeral and burial practices, new stigmas such as drug-related bereavements, are highlighted, and theories of dying and bereavement re-examined in their context. The concluding chapters incorporate recent case studies into an exploration of the meanings and shape of holistic and integrated care.

Students interested in death studies from a sociological and cultural viewpoint as well as health and social care practitioners, will benefit from its critical appraisal and application of the established knowledge base to contemporary practices and ethical debates.

About the Author
Margaret Holloway is Professor of Social Work at the University of Hull.

Reviews

"This is a book that could be used individually or within health and social care teams for discussion, and is relevant to social workers and health care practitioners alike... it is refreshing to find a book prepared to bring the often taboo subject of death into the 21st century." Margaret Surrey, Professional Social Work, June 2008

"In this beautifully written book, Margaret Holloway.....has managed to produce a text that is academic, practical and sensitive. I highly recommend this book to nursing students and practitioners." Nursing Standard, Vol 22: 45, 2008.

"...the book provides a very useful overview for those wishing to develop a more integrated knowledge base for working with dying or bereaved people." Tony Walters, University of Bath

"This book is welcome and timely, given the demographic changes associated with an ageing population and the social, ethical and philosophical questions that arise." Mortality journal, 2009

Book Information
ISBN 9781847420152
Author Margaret Holloway
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint Policy Press
Publisher Bristol University Press