Loss and Grief in Family Settings
Special Issue of Journal of Family Studies
Volume 4 Issue 2 October 1998
pages ISBN
Few of us would have difficulty recognising death as the most salient form of loss. The introductory feature in this Issue is a parable written by Richard A Kalish (1985) in his book Death, Grief, and Caring Relationships and reproduced by kind permission of his offsprings: Rachel Kalish, Daniel Kalish, and Leah Kalish McGarrigle. The author used dramatic and unforgettable imagery to remind those who have chosen to work in the helping and health care professions that they do not have the luxury of ignoring 'the horse on the dining-room table', namely, death, and that there is a way by which death can be rendered less powerful. This occurs when grief, the universal response to loss, is given voice and the healing process begins.
The contributions to this Special Issue represent one way of giving voice to the grief associated with loss in its many forms. As Schneider (1984) wrote, 'losses include internal events, systems of belief, and the process of growth and aging as well as the easily recognized losses, such as death and divorce' (p.x). Through the written word, research and practice is in the position to pave the way for a deeper understanding and wider acknowledgment of the dynamics of grief.
Two of the contributed papers focus in particular on masculine responses to loss. Kenneth Doka and Terry Martin present a pattern of masculine grief and appropriate counselling interventions, while Ronald Baker and Anna McMurray report on a study of noncustodial fathers, with particular reference to loss of involvement in their children's schooling. From The Netherlands comes a review of the literature on the impact a child's death has on parents; Iris Dijkstra and Margaret Stroebe highlight the urgent need for a methodologically sound research base, which will in turn open the way for enquiry of direct relevance to 'highly vulnerable subgroups of bereaved parents'. An examination of losses in families affected by dementia is the topic of Michael Bull's study. Courtesy of the publishers, Paul H Brookes, comes an excerpt from the forthcoming book by Elizabeth Bruce and Cynthia Schultz, Grieving Nonfinite Loss: A Therapeutic Approach.
Coeditor Cliff Picton has made a valuable contribution in the form of an annotation of videotape resource materials in the area of loss and grief in family settings, the 'Practice Notes' reflect the Issues' theme, as do several of the book reviews. I am confident that this Issue of the Journal will be of considerable interest to readers, particularly given the surge of recognition in more recent times of the impact that loss and grief has on individuals and families.
eContent Home
