Sorrow and Solace: The Social World of the Cemetery (Death, Value and Meaning Series) - Hardcover

Bachelor, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 089503297X ISBN 13: 9780895032973

Publisher: Routledge, 2004

Synopsis

Sorrow and Solace focuses on the importance of cemeteries in the lives of everyday mourners, and ways in which our bereaved give meaning to and draw value from their commemorative activities. The death of someone dear to us is among the most momentous life event that we experience. In many societies, visiting the grave or memorial is a common behavioural response to bereavement. Memorial sites provide vital connections to our deceased loved ones with whom we wish to maintain ongoing social bonds, and cemeteries are crucial places of deep healing and growth. Millions of visits are made to cemeteries every day, but the extent of this activity and its value to those who mourn - the topics of this volume - have long remained largely unrecognised. Large urban memorial parks are hives of activity for recently bereaved persons, and are among the most visited places in Western communities. Some cemeteries, hosting millions of annual visits, are more popular than many major tourist attractions. Cemetery visitation is a high-participatory, value-laden, expressive activity, and a most significant observable behaviour of the recently bereaved. This work will be invaluable to those seeking a scholarly understanding of bereavement, mourning, and commemoration. Written principally for professionals with a tertiary educational interest in related fields, such as grief educators, nurses, palliative carers, and social workers, it is also an important resource for the further education of other carers and service providers, including psychologists, physicians, counsellors, clergy, funeral directors, cemetery administrators, and monumental masons. The book is also a significant contribution to the field of social anthropology.

About this title

About the Author

Philip Bachelor is past President of the Cemeteries & Crematoria Association of Victoria, and honorary Secretary of the Centre for Grief Education in Melbourne.

From the Inside Flap

IN PRAISE OF
"A landmark study that underlines most people's desire to maintain 'continuing bonds' with their dead. Sorrow and Solace offers insights that will surprise and intrigue you with the breadth and originality. A must-read for all of us working in this field, from death studies to palliative care."
Allan Kellehear, PhD, Professor of Palliative Care, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

"Truly a significant contribution to the death awareness field. In my nearly forty years of learning, teaching, and researching, this is the finest book on cemeteries that I've had the privilege to read. It has theory, research, and scholarly understanding, and is written in a style that anyone will enjoy. . . . combines the best of scholarship with the insights of one who knows what really happens in a cemetery. . . . interesting, informative, and insightful. This book is appropriate for professionals and for anyone who uses or will use a cemetery. It is a thoughtful, compassionate work that challenges us to reexamine our understanding of cemeteries, their use, and their role in the grieving process."
Gerry R. Cox, PhD, Director, Center for Death Education & Bioethics, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

". . . a wonderful service to bereavement studies . . . some of the best recent scholarship on grief. . . . a rich and textured report on the social world of the cemetery. Scholars and clinicians interested in grief will find the book fascinating. I'm sorry about the pun, but this book really does break new ground."
Dennis Klass, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies, Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri

"This comprehensive study will be of immense value to all students of grief and particularly to service providers, such as cemetery administrators, social workers, and counselors. I commend Dr. Bachelor's forthright appeal for those in authority to review their 'appreciation of the major community values of cemeteries.' This book provides a solid and comprehensive foundation for that review."
P. D. MacLean, PSM, JP, Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Perth, Western Australia and Vice President International Cremation Federation

". . . explores a hitherto neglected and uncharted aspect of the bereavement experience. Listening carefully to the voices of the bereaved, Philip Bachelor skillfully explores how social, cultural, and psychological factors impinge upon cemetery visitation. The solace that cemetery visitation provides, and the way in which it can assist the bereaved forge a continuing bond with the deceased, is of critical importance. This text is a major contribution to a neglected field within thanatology."
Christopher Hall, Bed, MA, CT, Director, Centre for Grief Education, Melbourne, Australia

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 089503297X
• ISBN 13: 9780895032973
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 180