Summary
Contents
How do we understand health in relation to society? What role does culture play in shaping our experiences of, and orientation to, health and illness? How do we understand medicine and medical treatment within a sociological framework?
Awareness Contexts
Awareness Contexts
Awareness contexts most commonly refer to those social processes surrounding death and dying or, more specifically who knows what in relation to a person who is approaching death. The concept refers to the information, knowledge and cognition embodied within shifting types of awareness and the complex interplay of emotions.
In the human world, death and dying are not simply natural or biological events. Death and dying, as with bereavement, are social processes imbued with meanings and emotions. Knowledge of these multi-dimensional processes is furthered through disciplines such as history, psychology, sociology, and anthropology (Walter, 2008). For example, historical work on death in Europe has proven influential across disciplines (Ariès, 1974, 1983). Anthropologists also document death rituals in traditional societies, while sociologists ...