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Sorrow & Solace: The Social World of the Cemetery
Philip Bachelor
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Death, Value and Meaning Series, John D. Morgan, Series Editor
You can read the
Introduction for free right now, just click here.
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
"Bachelor, a director of one of the largest cemeteries in Melbourne, Australia, and a holder of a doctoral degree in sociology, offers a uniquely important contribution to the literature of death studies. The author applies his sociological skills to show how mourners use cemeteries: their distinctive patterns of cemetery visitation, preferred burial arrangements, and related subjects. He does a creditable job of summarizing much of what is known about grief and mourning-how grief is displayed and how the experience of grief differs among different cultural, religious, socioeconomic, age, and gender groups. Much of the discussion, although based on Australia quantitative and qualitative data, appears applicable to other postindustrial societies. It is hard to imagine people being effective in mortuary enterprises, especially in their interaction with mourners, without being familiar with many of the sociocultural and psychological components of grief and mourning presented here. This volume should be required reading for all mortuary science practitioners, as well as all others interested in how cemeteries are utilized."
—W. Feigelman, Nassau Community College, CHOICE, May, 2005
"Sorrow and Solace is an excellent reference point and highly recommended reading for anyone interested in serving the bereaved-especially those responsible for the provision, operation and management of cemeteries and crematoria."
—Ian Hussein, Director of the City of London Cemetery, and a Past President of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management Inc., London, UK, Mortality, 2005
"A great deal of information is packed into this well organized book. It is compelling, not least because of the contributions from mourners and will be of interest to professionals and accessible to others. Cemeteries are places set aside from everyday life and yet, as this study shows, can become a sustaining aspect of life for survivors. For those already familiar with cemeteries, this book will be confirmatory; for others is could be revelatory and offer one more resource through which to support those close to death."
—Leonie Kellaher, Cities Institute, London Metropolitan University, London, Author (with D. Francis and G. Neophytou) of The Secret Cemetery, Palliative Medicine, 2005
"Bachelor compares which groups of mourners visit more regularly, how long they stay, what they do. There are interesting observations on non-visiting and many fascinating quotations from interviewees. Philip Bachelor has established just how normative and sociable a place the contemporary cemetery can be."
—Peter C. Jupp, Founding co-editor of Mortality, Cruse Bereavement Care, Volume 25, No. 3, Winter 2006
ABOUT THE BOOK
With this book, Philip Bachelor makes an important contribution to contemporary
knowledge of bereavement, mourning, and commemoration. The text 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 behavioral 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 unrecognized. 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 behavior of the recently bereaved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Philip Bachelor is a recognized leader in the Australian cemeteries industry. His
background includes parks management, business administration, and bereavement
research. He has been involved in the operation of cemeteries for 23 years, including the
past 15 years at Melbourne's Fawkner Crematorium & Memorial Park. Here, he leads the
team responsible for developing and maintaining one of the world's larger cemeteries,
which each week provides about 100 burials and cremations and meets the diverse
cultural needs of some 40,000 bereaved visitors. Bachelor has reviewed cemetery
operations throughout Australia and internationally, and he is a regular writer and
presenter on cemetery visitation and is an advocate of understanding and accommodating
mourners’ needs. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Horticulture, the
Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, and the Australian Institute of
Management. His publications include 20 technical papers on environmental, managerial,
and sociocultural themes, and two popular books: Signature Plants (City of Sandringham,
1981) and Life after Death: Understanding Bereavement and Working through Grief (Hill
of Content, 2002).
INTENDED AUDIENCE
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, counselors,
clergy, funeral directors, cemetery administrators, and monumental masons. The book is
also a significant contribution to the field of social anthropology.
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