Description: All people suffer instances of personal loss that cause distress
Brief description:
Melvyn L. Fein is professor of sociology at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and is the editor of the Journal of Public and Professional Sociology.
Review Quotes:
"Melvyn L. Fein argues for a broader understanding of loss and losing that offers another approach, which he characterizes as "resocialization." Indeed, how a person thinks, feels, and acts may all need to be reorganized if personal distress is to be overcome. Fein presents a compelling case for sociological interpretation of personal distress. Although he acknowledges that some personal suffering derives from biological sources, and that mental illnesses can spill over to cause social dysfunctions, he argues that it is important to recognize the social causes of human suffering. In thereby recognizing the limitations of the human condition, most of us can do better than blindly accept an inherited dedication to the medical model. On Loss and Losing offers a legitimate option without denying the reality of human suffering."
--Journal of Social Work Education
"Engagingly written and passionate, Melvyn Fein's On Loss and Losing dares one to question prevailing assumptions about the human condition. Be warned that you will grin in agreement with some of his analyses and grimace in disbelief at others--you will not, however, be left apathetic about issues of personal loss or social ills. One explicit message of this book is that continuing to accept the prevailing status quo is not a realistic option. Fein's On Loss and Losing presents a clear and focused roadmap that can lead to effective and positive change."--Lana Wachniak, professor emeritus of criminal justice and sociology, Kennesaw State University, and board member, Georgia Alliance to End Homelessness
"Dr. Fein, an experienced clinical sociologist, clearly presents a viable alternative to medical model explanations of, and treatments for, personal 'disorders' caused ultimately by social dysfunctions. Such 'maladies' do not have origins in physical or mental illness, but rather in ineffectual interpersonal relationships created by 'loss' (e.g., the death of a loved one) or 'losing' (e.g., role, status,