Sociological contributions to the study of death in health and medicine

The enactment of dying varies across time, place and social context, and the experience is influenced by a wide range of factors, including social class positioning, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, educational status, economic status, age. Since the work of Durkheim on suicide and ritual, sociology has been well placed to aid understanding of the human experience of dying, including in the field of health and medicine. This chapter explores and critiques the presence and absence of the discipline over time, through a focus on key concepts and scholars, plus an overview of sociological tools and theoretical perspectives. Sociology has made important contributions to the field, for example through research on awareness contexts, understanding of the good death and development of the concept of social death. The chapter argues that there is a 21st-century resurgence underway, with scholars recognising the potential for sociology to make its own, unique contribution.