Overview

Should patients be told they are dying? How do families react when one of their members is facing death? Who should reveal that death is imminent? How does hospital staff - doctors, nurses, and attendants - act toward the dying patient and his family? Death, as a social ritual, is one of the great turning points in human existence, but prior to this classic work, now available in paperback, it had been subjected to little scientific study. American perspectives on death seem strangely paradoxical - the brutal fact of death is confronted daily in our newspapers yet Americans are unwilling to talk openly about the process of dying itself. Awareness of Dying, using a highly original theory of awareness, examines the dying patient and those about him in social interaction. It gives us a language and tools of analysis for understanding who knows what about dying, under what circumstances, and what difference it makes. The authors use their finely detailed observations to develop theoretical constructs that will be of use in many other interactions and situations. Awareness of Dying was the first study of dying in hospitals, and has proven a useful handbook for chaplains, social workers, nurses, and doctors in confronting the many ethical and personal problems that arise in the dying situation. Now available in paperback, it is destined to reach new audiences interested in this key part of all life.

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9780202307633

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Reviews

<p> This well-written book reports the results of intensive field work in six California hospitals to explore some of the social aspects of dying.... Sociologists are provided with valuable research, related to an integrated substantive theory with wide generalizability; they will also find some discussions concerning theory in general; and the book contributes to the sociology of knowledge as well as medical sociology.... On a societal level, the book should help to erase some of the taboos surrounding death as a social topic. On the personal level, the authors provide occasional suggestions as to how the patient and the family might be more effective in their efforts to secure information for and from the medical personnel with whom they interact. <p> --Glenn M. Vernon, American Sociological Review <p> [T]he present volume is of interest to chaplains, social workers, counselors, as well as medical personnel, there is sufficient reference to intrafamily and family-hospital relationships to make it useful to teachers who see death education as an important part of family life education.... [T]he book is written in non-technical language and could be used in adult education and junior and senior years of high school as well as for more advanced study. <p> --Rose M. Somerville, The Family Coordinator <p> Awareness of Dying is an attempt to take cognizance of this development in our American hospitals, and in doing so the authors, who studied intensively six hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area, hope to contribute to a more rational and compassionate treatment of our dying citizens. Their book is certainly a most welcome and important contribution to the development of such treatment and should be required reading for all medical personnel concerned with this aspect of medical service.... This reviewer believes their scheme has much merit, for never before has he read such a clear, explicit, and insightful account of this multifaceted problem. <p> --Robert Ful

-This well-written book reports the results of intensive field work in six California hospitals to explore some of the social aspects of dying.... Sociologists are provided with valuable research, related to an integrated substantive theory with wide generalizability; they will also find some discussions concerning theory in general; and the book contributes to the sociology of knowledge as well as medical sociology.... On a societal level, the book should help to erase some of the taboos surrounding death as a social topic. On the personal level, the authors provide occasional suggestions as to how the patient and the family might be more effective in their efforts to secure information for and from the medical personnel with whom they interact.- --Glenn M. Vernon, American Sociological Review -[T]he present volume is of interest to chaplains, social workers, counselors, as well as medical personnel, there is sufficient reference to intrafamily and family-hospital relationships to make it useful to teachers who see death education as an important part of family life education.... [T]he book is written in non-technical language and could be used in adult education and junior and senior years of high school as well as for more advanced study.- --Rose M. Somerville, The Family Coordinator -Awareness of Dying is an attempt to take cognizance of this development in our American hospitals, and in doing so the authors, who studied intensively six hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area, hope to contribute to a more rational and compassionate treatment of our dying citizens. Their book is certainly a most welcome and important contribution to the development of such treatment and should be required reading for all medical personnel concerned with this aspect of medical service.... This reviewer believes their scheme has much merit, for never before has he read such a clear, explicit, and insightful account of this multifaceted problem.- --Robert Fulton, American Journal of Sociology This well-written book reports the results of intensive field work in six California hospitals to explore some of the social aspects of dying.... Sociologists are provided with valuable research, related to an integrated substantive theory with wide generalizability; they will also find some discussions concerning theory in general; and the book contributes to the sociology of knowledge as well as medical sociology.... On a societal level, the book should help to erase some of the taboos surrounding death as a social topic. On the personal level, the authors provide occasional suggestions as to how the patient and the family might be more effective in their efforts to secure information for and from the medical personnel with whom they interact. --Glenn M. Vernon, American Sociological Review [T]he present volume is of interest to chaplains, social workers, counselors, as well as medical personnel, there is sufficient reference to intrafamily and family-hospital relationships to make it useful to teachers who see death education as an important part of family life education.... [T]he book is written in non-technical language and could be used in adult education and junior and senior years of high school as well as for more advanced study. --Rose M. Somerville, The Family Coordinator Awareness of Dying is an attempt to take cognizance of this development in our American hospitals, and in doing so the authors, who studied intensively six hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area, hope to contribute to a more rational and compassionate treatment of our dying citizens. Their book is certainly a most welcome and important contribution to the development of such treatment and should be required reading for all medical personnel concerned with this aspect of medical service.... This reviewer believes their scheme has much merit, for never before has he read such a clear, explicit, and insightful account of this multifaceted problem. --Robert Fulton, American Journal of Sociology This well-written book reports the results of intensive field work in six California hospitals to explore some of the social aspects of dying.... Sociologists are provided with valuable research, related to an integrated substantive theory with wide generalizability; they will also find some discussions concerning theory in general; and the book contributes to the sociology of knowledge as well as medical sociology.... On a societal level, the book should help to erase some of the taboos surrounding death as a social topic. On the personal level, the authors provide occasional suggestions as to how the patient and the family might be more effective in their efforts to secure information for and from the medical personnel with whom they interact. --Glenn M. Vernon, American Sociological Review [T]he present volume is of interest to chaplains, social workers, counselors, as well as medical personnel, there is sufficient reference to intrafamily and family-hospital relationships to make it useful to teachers who see death education as an important part of family life education.... [T]he book is written in non-technical language and could be used in adult education and junior and senior years of high school as well as for more advanced study. --Rose M. Somerville, The Family Coordinator Awareness of Dying is an attempt to take cognizance of this development in our American hospitals, and in doing so the authors, who studied intensively six hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area, hope to contribute to a more rational and compassionate treatment of our dying citizens. Their book is certainly a most welcome and important contribution to the development of such treatment and should be required reading for all medical personnel concerned with this aspect of medical service.... This reviewer believes their scheme has much merit, for never before has he read such a clear, explicit, and insightful account of this multifaceted problem. --Robert Fulton, American Journal of Sociology

This well-written book reports the results of intensive field work in six California hospitals to explore some of the social aspects of dying.... Sociologists are provided with valuable research, related to an integrated substantive theory with wide generalizability; they will also find some discussions concerning theory in general; and the book contributes to the sociology of knowledge as well as medical sociology.... On a societal level, the book should help to erase some of the taboos surrounding death as a social topic. On the personal level, the authors provide occasional suggestions as to how the patient and the family might be more effective in their efforts to secure information for and from the medical personnel with whom they interact. --Glenn M. Vernon, American Sociological Review [T]he present volume is of interest to chaplains, social workers, counselors, as well as medical personnel, there is sufficient reference to intrafamily and family-hospital relationships to make it useful to teachers who see death education as an important part of family life education.... [T]he book is written in non-technical language and could be used in adult education and junior and senior years of high school as well as for more advanced study. --Rose M. Somerville, The Family Coordinator Awareness of Dying is an attempt to take cognizance of this development in our American hospitals, and in doing so the authors, who studied intensively six hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area, hope to contribute to a more rational and compassionate treatment of our dying citizens. Their book is certainly a most welcome and important contribution to the development of such treatment and should be required reading for all medical personnel concerned with this aspect of medical service.... This reviewer believes their scheme has much merit, for never before has he read such a clear, explicit, and insightful account of this multifaceted problem. --Robert Ful

Author Information

Barney G. Glaser, Anselm L. Strauss

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