This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Zimmermann, C. Articles by Rodin, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zimmermann, C. Articles by Rodin, G. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Palliative Care Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The denial of death thesis: sociological critique and implications for palliative care

Gary Rodin

Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Canada

It has become commonplace to say that contemporary western society is ’deathdenying‘. This characterization, which sociologists have termed the ’denial of death thesis‘, first arose in the social science, psychological and clinical medical literature in the period between 1955 and 1985. During the same time period, the hospice and palliative care movements were developing and in part directed themselves against the perceived cultural denial of death in western society. While the denial of death has been taken for granted by the lay public as well as by clinicians, in the sociological literature it has been increasingly questioned. In this paper we use sociological critiques of the denial of death thesis to raise critical questions about the theory and practice of contemporary palliative care. In particular, we argue that the emphasis of palliative care should not be on extinguishing the denial of death but on the relief of suffering. Palliative Medicine 2004; 18: 121-128

Key Words: attitude to death • denial • palliative care • sociology medical

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 18, No. 2, 121-128 (2004)
DOI: 10.1191/0269216304pm858oa


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Ashby, C. o. Hoog, A. Kellehear, P. G Kerr, D. Brooks, K. Nicholls, and M. Forrest Renal dialysis abatement: lessons from a social study Palliative Medicine, July 1, 2005; 19(5): 389 - 396. [Abstract] [PDF]