Routledge Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief: Exploring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Series in Death, Dying, and Bereavement)

The Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief is a scholarly work of social criticism, richly grounded in personal experience, evocative case studies, and current multicultural and sociocultural theories and research. It is also consistently practical and reflective, challenging readers to think through responses to ethically complex scenarios in which social justice is undermined by radically uneven opportunity structures, hierarchies of voice and privilege, personal and professional power, and unconscious assumptions, at the very junctures when people are most vulnerable―at points of serious illness, confrontation with end-of-life decision making, and in the throes of grief and bereavement. Harris and Bordere give the reader an active and engaged take on the field, enticing readers to interrogate their own assumptions and practices while increasing, chapter after chapter, their cultural literacy regarding important groups and contexts. The Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief deeply and uniquely addresses a hot topic in the helping professions and social sciences and does so with uncommon readability. Review "The Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief is destined to become a classic in the field. Not only could this book be used in professional training for medical, social work, nursing, and counseling courses, it could also be used in courses in social stratification, social institutions, as well as death and dying. It is exceptionally well-written, based on scholarship, and covers areas not found in any other book! The prologue, foreword, and introduction alone are worth the price of the book―the rest of the book is an added bonus! Gerry R. Cox, PhD, Center for Death Education and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "This handbook is an incredibly important addition to many fields of practice because of the social justice lens it brings to working with diverse patients and clients who are experiencing various forms of grief and loss. All practitioners in the field will benefit from the many chapters that provide insightful analyses of complex issues in grieving, both locally and internationally, while simultaneously supplying excellent, culturally conscientious interventions and case studies." Anne Cummings, PhD, professor emerita of counseling psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada "The voices and variety of perspectives in this handbook contribute a rich and vital perspective that has been under addressed in the bereavement field. Anyone in the helping professions will benefit from a deeper understanding of how our experiences and perceptions shape and shift effective practice, with practical applications for a diversity of populations and often-marginalized communities." Donna L. Schuurman, EdD, FT, executive director, the Dougy Center for Grieving Children and Families, Portland, Oregon "Rarely have issues of social justice, politics, culture, and diversity been so clearly explained in relation to loss and grief. Clinicians in today’s multicultural world need greater understanding and insight into how our own worldview colors our perception of reality. Readers will be enlightened and changed by the personal and academic insights in this book." Stephen R. Connor, PhD, senior fellow, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance About the Author Darcy L. Harris, PhD, FT, is an associate professor in the department of interdisciplinary programs at King's University College at the University of Western Ontario in Ontario, Canada, where she is also the coordinator of the thanatology program. Tashel C. Bordere, PhD, CT, is an assistant professor of human development and family studies and state extension specialist in youth development at the University of Missouri-Columbia and a past editor of The Forum.