Modern Relationships with Death

Richard Kalish, among others, has pointed out a number of reasons for the
interest in the study of death and dying. It is fairly easy to identify a number
of factors that have increased concern about this topic. For example, more
lives were lost in the twentieth century in warfare than in any other period of
history. The presence of thermonuclear weapons continues to be a realistic
concern for the peoples of the world. The increase in the number and influence
of the elderly is also undoubtedly a factor. Most of the elderly die of
heart disease, cancer, or other chronic illnesses in which dying takes place
over a period of time. This has led to a different kind of acquaintance with death, in comparison to times not so long ago when death more commonly
came as the result of a short acute illness.

Closely related to the previous point are the advances in medical technology
which allow some people with chronic illnesses to be kept alive on lifesupport
systems when their brains are no longer functioning. Because of
such scientific advances, serious questions arise as to when death really occurs
and as to what decisions ought to be made about that situation, legally,
morally, and psychologically.

Undoubtedly, the impact of television has profoundly influenced society
in its attitudes toward death and dying. For several decades, television has
depicted death in both real-life and fictional situations. The effect of all this
death on television (as well as in motion pictures) has yet to be studied or
understood fully by psychologists or other social scientists.
A more sanguine reason for the increased interest in death and dying is
that, perhaps, society is becoming more humane in its attempt to deal with
these issues. There is a concern for “dying with dignity” and for a “good
death” (the original meaning of the term “euthanasia”). The hospice movement
has grown rapidly in the attempt to give the dying (particularly those
dying from chronic illnesses) more choices about their dying and the opportunity
to live out their final days in a way not so different from the way in
which they lived the rest of their lives. Social scientists may be coming to realize
that death has something important to teach humankind about human
existence.

Sources for Further Study

Becker, Ernest. The Denial of Death. 1973. Reprint. New York: Free Press,
1997. A strong book on the power of death both for the individual and
within a culture. Written, to a large extent, from a psychoanalytic standpoint.
Not easy to read without some background in psychology or anthropology.
Cohen-Almagor, Raphael. The Right to Die with Dignity: An Argument in Ethics,
Medicine, and the Law. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2001.
An even-handed overview of the controversies surrounding physicianassisted
suicide and the right to choose death in the face of terminal illness.
Feifel, Herman, ed. The Meaning of Death. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1965. One
of the original books which stimulated interest in death and dying. Contains
essays by writers such as Carl Jung, Paul Tillich, and Robert Kastenbaum,
as well as articles reporting empirical studies. Generally reads well
and contains myriad interesting and thoughtful ideas.
Kastenbaum, Robert. Death, Society, and Human Experience. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon, 2000. A textbook for classes on the sociology of death and dying,
bringing together perspectives from the humanities, social sciences, and
psychology.

Kessler, David. The Needs of the Dying: A Guide for Bringing Hope, Comfort, and
Love to Life’s Final Chapter. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Written by a leader in hospice care. Explains the common emotions and psychology
of the dying and offers suggestions for dealing with death.
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying. 1969. Reprint. New York: Scribner
Classics Sons, 1997. A popular book which had a major impact on the
general public. It reads well and is not only interesting but also of practical
help to many who are dealing with the issue of dying.
Mitford, Jessica. The AmericanWay of Death. 1963. Reprint. New York: Fawcett
Crest, 1978. A polemical look at the funeral business. This book made
many Americans aware of excesses and shoddy practices, which eventually
led to a number of changes—some because of government regulation.
Quite one-sided.

__________. The American Way of Death Revisited. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
1998. Mitford’s follow-up to her 1963 classic traces changes in the funeral
industry over the intervening thirty-odd years. Ironically, a posthumous
publication.
Tomer, Adrian, ed. Death Attitude and Older Adults. New York: Brunner/
Mazel, 2001. A collection of essays studying current practice in dealing
with death from the perspectives of gerontology, thanatology, and general
psychology.
James Taylor Henderson