Sociology course text. Dying and death in a society reflect the material and social conditions of that society. For example, dying and death come frequently and early in life in a society where there is widespread poverty. In contrast, dying and death typically come late in life in a more developed society such as Canada at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The point is, how we live influences how and at what age we die. Similarly, dying is both a personal experience and a social role given shape and meaning by social practices and cultural definitions. The bereaved grieve and mourn in both personal and social terms and the meaning assigned to dying and death is both personally and socially constructed. This book is written for students who wish to learn about dying and death, for practitioners who work with the dying and the bereaved, for the dying and the bereaved themselves, and for the general public. Part I explores the causes of dying and death in Canada both historically and at present. Part II examines the societal and cultural responses to dying and death. Part III discusses dying and death from the personal pointsof view of the dying and the bereaved. Herbert Nortcott teaches in the Department of Sociology and Donna Wilson in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Contents Introduction. Part 1. The Demography and Epidemiology of Dying and Death. Chapter 1. The History of Dying and Death in Canada. Chapter 2. Dying and Death in Canada Today. Part 2. The Social and Cultural Response to Dying and Death. Chapter 3. Dying and Death in the Context of Canadian Social Institutions. Chapter 4. Dying and Death in the Context of Canadian Culture. Part 3. The Individual Response to Dying and Death. Chapter 5. Individual Perspectives on Dying and Death. Chapter 6. Survivor Perspectives on Dying and Death. Conclusion. 240pp | 
