Handbook of Death and Dying

This comprehensive two-volume reference work provides an exhaustive sociological examination of death across cultures, compiling decades of thanatology research into an accessible academic resource. The handbook systematically explores how different societies characterize death and dying, analyzing the profound social implications beyond mere physiological processes. It arranges and synthesizes the vast literature on cultural responses to mortality, examining how institutionalized behaviors around death permeate economic, educational, religious, and political systems. Readers will find thorough coverage of how death rituals and attitudes vary dramatically between cultures and historical periods.

What distinguishes this work is its sociological lens—it treats death not as a purely biological event but as a complex social phenomenon that reveals fundamental truths about human societies. The handbook's systematic organization makes it particularly valuable for students, researchers, and professionals in sociology, anthropology, and healthcare fields who need authoritative information on cross-cultural death practices. Through its meticulous documentation of how societies institutionalize responses to mortality, this reference provides profound insights into the living through their approaches to the dead, ultimately serving as an essential resource for understanding one of humanity's most universal yet culturally specific experiences.