Description
Through discussions of various theories of grief, narratives of the bereaved obtained in interviews with 22 men and women, case study analysis, and chapter summaries, this text integrates the literature about and the bereavement experiences of partners in varying types of relationships.
About the Author
Carolyn Ambler Walter, Ph.D., LCSW, is a professor at the Center for Social Work Education at Widener University, Chester, PA, and maintains a private clinical social work practice. Dr. Walter is co-author of Breast Cancer in the Life Course: Women's Experiences, and is the author of The Timing of Motherhood.
Reviews
Walter offers 22 stories of individuals whose life partner died, presenting them against a tapestry of bereavement theories and issues. The widows and widowers describe the challenges of reframing their identity and life; particularly powerful are narratives and experiences of gay men and lesbians, because as disenfranchised grievers they lack the access to the legal benefits, supports, and social rituals of mourning... The captivating struggle of grief involves a crisis in meaning as bereavement shatters assumptions, support systems, coupled identity, and patterns of life. Choice First of its kind...psychologists and counselors can benefit from this book. Canadian Social Work Walter's book is well written, accessible and compassionate and certainly extends our understanding of the experiences and needs of bereaved partners. -- Carole Smith Journal of Social Work Well structured and accessible to both lay and professional readers. -- Christine Valentine Mortality
Book Information
ISBN 9780231119696
Author Carolyn Ambler Walter
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press