The loss of a life partner : narratives of the bereaved / Carolyn Amber Walter.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walter, Carolyn Ambler.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bereavement--Psychological aspects.

Bereavement.

Death--Psychological aspects.

Death.

Grief.

Loss (Psychology).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (303 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Although there is extensive research on the loss of a spouse, predominantly focusing on the experiences of widows, much less attention is paid to bereaved partners not married to their significant other, whether or not the partners are of the same sex. This first-of-its-kind work explores both socially sanctioned and disenfranchised grief, highlighting similarities and differences. Combining a discussion of various theories of grief with personal narratives of grieving men and women drawn from numerous interviews, and detailed case study analysis, Carolyn Ambler Walter has produced a penetrating examination of the bereavement experiences of partners in varying types of relationships. She views narratives of widows, widowers, and bereaved domestic gay and lesbian partners from a postmodern perspective that breaks away from the traditional belief that the living must detach themselves from the dead in order to move on with their lives. Instead, building on the works of postmodern grief theorists such as Klass, Silverman, and Nickman, Walter views ongoing bonds with the dead as a resource for enriching functionality in the present, and as a key to looking to the future.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter One. Theories of Grief: How They Inform Our Understanding of the Loss of a Partner

Chapter Two. Loss of a Partner: Current Issues

Chapter Three. Loss of a Spouse

Chapter Four. Loss of an Opposite-Sex Partner

Chapter Five. Loss of a Gay Partner

Chapter Six. Loss of a Lesbian Partner

Chapter Seven. Similar and Diverse Themes Among Bereaved Partners

Chapter Eight. Interventions

Chapter Nine. Clinical Implications

References

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [261]-268) and index.

ISBN:

9780231529341

0231529341

OCLC:

817928649