Cortney Hughes Rinker writes Conclusion for The Routledge History of Death since 1800

Cortney Hughes Rinker writes Conclusion for The Routledge History of Death since 1800

Dr. Hughes Rinker had the opportunity to write the conclusion for Professor Peter Stearns newest volume, The Routledge History of Death since 1800. Her conclusion, “Future Trajectories of Death: Speculations and Raising Questions,” The final chapter of the volume discusses what death may look like in the foreseeable future within a global context.

While acknowledging that death is culturally and socially shaped, the conclusion thinks through some of the main current trajectories seen in different parts of the world, such as the tension between the limitations of the human body and technological interventions in death; rapidly aging societies and how this population trend will impact how, when, and where death occurs; the intersection of biomedicine and traditional healing systems in the dying process; and how the differentiation between the living and non-living (and even human and non-human) is being altered due to medical advancements. As a whole, the volume considers death from historical perspectives, and the final chapter gives a glimpse into the future given worldwide trends.

This publication can be found at: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-History-of-Death-since-1800/Stearns/p/book/9780367137168