Men and Loss : New Perspectives on Bereavement, Grief and Masculinity (Routledge Key Themes in Health and Society)

This important book draws together new research and theories about bereavement, on the one hand, and men and masculinities on the other, to increase our understanding of men’s experience of loss and contribute towards improving support services to men following bereavement. Bereavement and loss are unavoidable events in life and can be challenging experiences for anyone, regardless of gender. However, in contemporary western cultures, men’s experience of bereavement continues to be framed by socially constructed ideas surrounding masculinity, which dictate that men must be stoic following a loss, with grief manifesting in either anger or despair. Men who do not grieve in accepted ‘masculine’ ways can feel judged, alienated or disenfranchised. This interdisciplinary and interprofessional collection presents theoretical analysis, reports of research findings, reviews of support and interventions, and a wealth of personal accounts. It includes chapters discussing partner loss, childhood bereavement, perinatal loss and bereavement through suicide, as well as bereavement at all stages of the life course. Men and Loss is an essential read for advanced students and researchers with an interest in men’s health and bereavement studies from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, including nursing, medicine, counselling, sociology, social work and psychology.