Death and dying and death-related behavior involve the causes of death and the nature of the actions and emotions surrounding death among the living. Interest in the varied dimensions of death and dying has led to the development of death studies that move beyond medical research to include behavioral science disciplines and practitioner-oriented fields. As a result of this interdisciplinary interest, the literature in the field has proliferated. This two-volume resource addresses the traditional death and dying-related topics but also presents a unique focus on the human experience to create a new dimension to the study of death and dying. With more than 300 entries, the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience includes the complex cultural beliefs and traditions and the institutionalized social rituals that surround dying and death, as well as the array of emotional responses relating to bereavement, grieving, and mourning. The Encyclopedia is enriched through important multidisciplinary contributions and perspectives as it arranges, organizes, defines, and clarifies a comprehensive list of death-related perspectives, concepts, and theories. Key Features Imparts significant insight into the process of dying and the phenomenon of death Includes contributors from Asia,; Africa; Australia; Canada; China; eastern, southern, and western Europe; Iceland; Scandinavia; South America; and the United States who offer important interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives Provides a special focus on the cultural artifacts and social institutions and practices that constitute the human experience Addresses death-related terms and concepts such as angel makers, equivocal death, end-of-life decision making, near-death experiences, cemeteries, ghost photography, halo nurses, caregiver stress, cyberfunerals, global religious beliefs and traditions, and death denial Presents a selective use of figures, tables, and images Key Themes Arts, Media, and Popular Culture Perspectives Causes of Death Conceptualization of Death, Dying, and the Human Experience Coping With Loss and Grief: The Human Experience Cross-Cultural Perspectives Cultural-Determined, Social-Oriented, and Violent Forms of Death Developmental and Demographic Perspectives Funerals and Death-Related Activities Legal Matters Process of Dying, Symbolic Rituals, Ceremonies, and Celebrations of Life Theories and Concepts Unworldly Entities and Events With an array of topics that include traditional subjects and important emerging ideas, the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience is the ultimate resource for students, researchers, academics, and others interested in this intriguing area of study.
"With this valuable handbook the editors have successfully synthesized a field that has expanded considerably in recent years." -M.L. Stark, CHOICE Because the field of sociological inquiry is multi-faceted in perspective, and does subsume a variety of specialty interests, the literature in this discipline has developed and proliferated in a near exponential fashion. Sociology, today, has become so specialty driven in its research and theory agenda that the result is an enormous and complex body of sociological knowledge that is often considered to be unwieldy. 21st Century Sociology: A Reference Handbook provides a concise forum through which the vast array of knowledge accumulated, particularly during the past three decades, can be organized into a single definitive resource. The two volumes of this Reference Handbook focus on the corpus of knowledge garnered in traditional areas of sociological inquiry, as well as document the general orientation of the newer and currently emerging areas of sociological inquiry. Key Features Provides a timely and comprehensive assessment of the 100+ specialty fields of sociology with contributions by leading authorities in their area of expertise from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Singapore Examines four distinct phases of development in the history of sociological inquiry-a period of theoretical development, the emphasis on methodological development and refinement, the phase of specialization, and a period that has taken representatives of the discipline into previously unexplored areas Addresses the various traditional subfields of sociology, such as political sociology, educational sociology, rural sociology, criminology, occupational sociology, and minority relations Explores important new, evolving subfields, such as environmental sociology, sociology of sports and leisure, military sociology, medical sociology, the sociology of food and eating, and the sociology of emotions 21st Century Sociology presents the most comprehensive overview of modern sociology making it a must have resource for any academic library.
