Reconstructing Death in Postmodern Society

Thanatology—defined here as “the study of life with death left in”—did not emerge as a field of concerted scholarly attention until the aftermath of World War II, which temporarily pierced society's armor of denial. This article examines the interaction between the emerging thantalogical movement and its sociohistorical context. Thanatology entered the scene during the declining years of industrialism and will take on new shape as individuals and society attempt to cope with postmodernistic forces and the deconstructive mentality. In general, thanatology has earned a degree of social integration by behaving itself surprisingly well—meaning that it has utilized existing modalities and procedures, endorsed traditional values, and looked the part of the responsible citizen. The ongoing process of reconstructing death, however, promises to be more unsettling for all concerned. Examples are offered in the realm of attitudes toward the dead body, death education without death, and the tendency to construct death from the ways in which people die. The prospect for an authentic solidarity against distress in a reconstructed death system is briefly considered in conclusion.