BMS Sociology Death and Dying 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: William Worden's 'Tasks of Mourning' model differs from Kübler-Ross's stages primarily because it:
- Describes grief as passive emotional experiences
- Frames mourning as active work the bereaved must accomplish (Correct answer)
- Limits grief to five sequential emotions
- Focuses exclusively on anticipatory grief
Correct answer: Frames mourning as active work the bereaved must accomplish
Worden's model emphasizes that mourners must actively accomplish four tasks—accepting the loss, processing the pain, adjusting to a new environment, and finding an enduring connection with the deceased.
Question 2: The concept of 'continuing bonds' in grief theory, introduced by Klass, Silverman, and Nickman, challenges earlier grief models by suggesting that:
- Grief should be resolved within one year
- Maintaining a connection with the deceased is healthy and normal (Correct answer)
- Detachment from the deceased is necessary for healthy grief
- Grief stages are universal across all cultures
Correct answer: Maintaining a connection with the deceased is healthy and normal
Continuing bonds theory holds that bereaved individuals benefit from maintaining an ongoing relationship with the deceased rather than severing ties, contradicting earlier 'letting go' models.
Question 3: In the sociology of death, 'sequestration of death' refers to:
- Legal procedures for handling unclaimed bodies
- The removal of death and dying from everyday public life into institutional settings (Correct answer)
- Preserving the deceased's assets until estate is settled
- Quarantine protocols for bodies with infectious disease
Correct answer: The removal of death and dying from everyday public life into institutional settings
Sequestration of death describes the modern trend of isolating death in hospitals, nursing homes, and funeral homes, making it less visible and familiar to society compared to pre-industrial cultures.
Question 4: Which sociologist coined the term 'awareness context' to describe patients' and staff's knowledge about a dying patient's condition?
- Émile Durkheim
- Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss (Correct answer)
- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- Philippe Ariès
Correct answer: Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss
Glaser and Strauss (1965) identified four awareness contexts—closed, suspected, mutual pretense, and open—based on who knows the prognosis and what is openly acknowledged.
Question 5: Anticipatory grief is best defined as:
- Grief experienced after an unexpected traumatic death
- Mourning that begins before the actual death of an anticipated loss (Correct answer)
- The grief of first responders after mass casualty events
- A pathological form of prolonged grief disorder
Correct answer: Mourning that begins before the actual death of an anticipated loss
Anticipatory grief occurs when individuals begin mourning in advance of an expected death, such as when a loved one receives a terminal diagnosis.
Question 6: Sociologist Norbert Elias argued in 'The Loneliness of the Dying' that dying people in modern society often feel isolated because:
- Medical technology has extended life too long
- The living are increasingly embarrassed by death and withdraw from the dying (Correct answer)
- Hospice care separates patients from their communities
- Religious institutions no longer provide comfort to the dying
Correct answer: The living are increasingly embarrassed by death and withdraw from the dying
Elias argued that modern discomfort with death leads the living to distance themselves from dying people, leaving them in social isolation at the end of life.
Question 7: The 'dying trajectory' concept in medical sociology refers to:
- The physical pathway of disease progression in the body
- The perceived expected duration and pattern of a patient's dying process (Correct answer)
- Geographic movement of a patient between care facilities
- The emotional journey through Kübler-Ross stages
Correct answer: The perceived expected duration and pattern of a patient's dying process
Dying trajectory, developed by Glaser and Strauss, describes how medical staff and families form expectations about how long dying will take and the shape of its course, influencing care decisions.
BMS Sociology Death and Dying 2
William Worden's 'Tasks of Mourning' model differs from Kübler-Ross's stages primarily because it: