Death, Distress, and Solidarity

In preparing this special issue of "Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying" - we choose to consider solidarity in a somewhat larger perspective than the other one usually adopted by a clear majority of social support studies. This perspective gives priority to microscopic, immediate, direct transactions between a focal individual - the one affected by the prospect of soon to come death and two classes of people: those included in the core of that person's personal network and the health care personnel treating and accompanying soon to die people, many of them already advanced into agony.

Robert Kastenbaumwas Professor Emeritus, at Arizona State University.

Contributors Introduction: Death, Distress, and Solidarity Roger Tessier Distress, Stress, and Solidarity in Palliative Care Johanne de Montigny Death of the Nursed: Burnout of the Provider Serge Marquis The Organization of Life Before Death in Two Québec Cultural Configurations Luce Des Aulniers Death and its Rituals in the Novels on AIDS Joseph J. Lévy and Alexis Nouss Death, Grief, and Solidarity: The Polytechnique Case Joseph J. Lévy, Daniel Sansfacon, Jean-Marc Samson, and Louise Champagne Reconstructing Death in Postmodern Society Robert Kastenbaum Thanatology Research from Québec: A Different Emphasis Brian L. Mishara Contributors