DEATH IN THE MODERN WORLD
FRONT COVER
DEATH IN THE MODERN WORLD
COPYRIGHT
CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION: DEATH'S JIGSAW
PART I
MODERNITY
CHAPTER 1
LONGEVITY
CHAPTER 2
MEDICINE
CHAPTER 3
COMMODIFICATION
CHAPTER 4
COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER 5
DEATH DENIAL?
PART II
RISK
CHAPTER 6
SECURITY AND INSECURITY
CHAPTER 7
THE PHYSICAL WORLD
PART III
CULTURE
CHAPTER 8
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP
CHAPTER 9
FAMILY
CHAPTER 10
RELIGION
PART IV
NATION
CHAPTER 11
MODERNIZING THE NATION CHAPTER 12
WAR
CHAPTER 13
POLICY AND POLITICS
PART V
GLOBALIZATION
CHAPTER 14
GLOBAL FLOWS
CHAPTER 15
DEATH'S FUTURES
REFERENCES
INDEX

Death comes to all humans, but how death is managed, symbolised and experienced varies widely, not only between individuals but also between groups. What then shapes how a society manages death, dying and bereavement today? Are all modern countries similar? How important are culture, the physical environment, national histories, national laws and institutions, and globalization? This is the first book to look at how all these different factors shape death and dying in the modern world. Written by an internationally renowned scholar in death studies, and drawing on examples from around the world, including the UK, USA, China and Japan, The Netherlands, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. This book investigates how key factors such as money, communication technologies, the family, religion, and war, interact in complex ways to shape people's experiences of dying and grief. Essential reading for students, researchers and professionals across sociology, anthropology, social work and healthcare, and for anyone who wants to understand how countries around the world manage death and dying