Walter, T. (1994) The Revival of Death. London: Routledge.

Chapter 4: Traditional, Modern and Neo-Modern Death

Traditional – infectious diseases. Modern – cancer, but dying person didn’t know about it. Neo-modern – prolonged death, ‘living with…cancer / HIV / heart disease.. ‘. see Lofland (1978).

“the impact of death on society is usually reduced by reducing the social importance of those who die” (Blauner, 1966 in Walter, 1994: 50).”Thus social death of the elderly often occurs before physical death” (Morley, 1971 in Water, 1994: 51).

Social context. Traditional – community. Modern – separate private family and public work, etc. Neo-modern – private made public and global contact, due to, “twin features of postmodernism; advanced communications systems and the celebration of inner experience” (Walter, 1994).

Personhood. Traditional – I belong. If I leave, I don’t belong. Modern – I discover my identity through the family. Neo-Modern – I create multiple identities. Americans constantly create identity, whereas English find identity in class, Italians in gender stereotypes (Walter, 1994: 53).

The journey. “A spiritual journey became physical, which in turn is becoming emotional” (Walter, 1994: 57).

CONTRADICTION BETWEEN TYPES (traditional, modern neo-modern).