The Socio-Political Context of Death and Dying

This Special Issue of Societies invites scholars to examine both the social and political circumstances in which death and dying are experienced. The issue pays close attention to the abundant socio-political changes, nationally and internationally, which directly and indirectly influence how people die or experience the death of a loved one. The last ten years alone, not only in the UK, the care of the dying and bereaved has seen increasing interest by governments, while medical, clinical and technical approaches pertain. People die in hospitals, hospices or other institutions more often than they die in the comfort of their own home. The ambiguity of identifying when one is ready to die keeps medicine attuned to the task of preserving and prolonging life. This issue would like to explore in more detail the socio-political context in which death is experienced and examine how shifting societal and political attitudes influence how we die and vice versa. Finally, the issue is interested in bringing together both empirical and theoretical papers, aiming at conceptualising the current governance of death and dying, while focusing on the impact of the former on the latter.