Death and Denial

Liechty, Daniel

ISBN 10: 0275974200 / ISBN 13: 9780275974206

Published by ABC-CLIO, 2002

About this Item

Analyzes the impact of the theory of Generative Death Anxiety on the humanities and social sciences. Num Pages: 320 pages, black & white illustrations. BIC Classification: HP. Category: (G) General (US: Trade); (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 229 x 152 x 22. Weight in Grams: 635. . 2002. Hardback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780275974206

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Death and Denial
• Publisher: ABC-CLIO
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0275974200
• ISBN 13: 9780275974206
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

In this edited collection of essays, professionals and academics from across the spectrum of the humanities and social sciences outline the ways in which Generative Death Anxiety theory impacts their field and discuss the work of its most famous proponent, Ernest Becker, whose ^IDenial of Death^R won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. The essays demonstrate that recognition of this deeply rooted source of human behavior and attitudes provides a fertile organizing principle for the humanities and social sciences.

The theory of Generative Death Anxiety is based on the recognition that if there is any uniquely human characteristic, it is the ability to anticipate and prepare for death. This recognition of mortality, however, runs directly counter to our survival instincts and must be repressed, thus creating a constant supply of repressed psychic energy―which, shaped by cultural and narrative factors, emerges in a rich array of human creativity and resourcefulness, but also in racism, religious chauvinism, reactive violence, and other types of pathological behavior. In this edited collection of essays, professionals and academics from across the spectrum of the humanities and social sciences outline the ways in which this theory impacts their field and discuss the work of its most famous proponent, Ernest Becker, whose ^IDenial of Death^R won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. The essays demonstrate that recognition of this deeply rooted source of human behavior and attitudes provides a fertile organizing principle for the humanities and social sciences.

About the Author

DANIEL LIECHTY is Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Illinois State University and a licensed clinical social worker specializing in issues related to grief, loss, and death.