Summary

Many times grievers may have experienced a painful loss of significant attachment that is not recognized or validated by other. Dr Doka names "losses that cannot be openly acknowledged, socially validated or publicly mourned" instances of disenfranchised grief. Disenfranchised Grief provides a forum for discussion of and help for persons suffering from many forms of hidden sorrow.

Quotes

"every society has norms that frame grieving….When a family member dies, one is allowed and expected to grieve, often in a specified way. Yet human beings….harbor attachments to fellow humans, animals and even places and things. In situations (which are outside the grieving rules) ….the person experiences a loss, but the resulting grief is unrecognized by others. The person has no socially accorded right to grieve that loss or mourn it in a particular way, the grief is disenfranchised". pp6-7.

General Themes

The chapters in Disenfranchised Grief address specific forms of marginalized losses. These include partners or ex-spouses, loss of companion animals, reproductive losses, stigmatized deaths (AIDS, Suicides, homicide) self destructive deaths such as drunk driving or drug overdose, auto erotic death, or persons who experience loss related to adoption or relocation.

What the Reviewer Liked

Each writer approaches his or her segment of Disenfranchised Grief with compassion and respect. Specific case examples are detailed throughout, grounding the academic language in "real time."

Shortcomings or Flaws

Though the topics covered in Dr Doka's book are broadly based, obtaining an exhaustive treatment of disenfranchised losses would be nearly impossible. Nevertheless, even a partial reading would be of benefit to most Kara counselors, in that it produces familiarity with an often overlooked and unintentional "blind spot" for grief counselors.

Writing Style

This book is written primarily for a professional readership and might not be the thing for the beach in Bermuda. However, the index is detailed and comprehensive, making specific research, topic-by-topic, simple to do. I recommend it for an excellent source of reference and to enhance understanding of another's loss experience.

Author Qualifications

Kenneth J. Doka, Ph D. is a professor of gerontology at the college of New Rochelle, N.Y. and senior consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America. He is past president of Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and chaired the international work group on Dying, Death and Bereavement from 1997 to 1999. He has authored many books and articles and currently serves as editor of ADEC's journal, Omega and Journeys, a newsletter for the bereaved.

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Kara is the Gothic root of the word "care."
It means to reach out, to care, to lament, to grieve with.