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  • Book
  • © 2017

Perspectives on the Experience of Sudden, Unexpected Child Death

The Very Worst Thing?

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Based on original research into unexpected child death from both personal and professional accounts

  • Utilises a unique psychosocial approach and methodology which will contribute to the psychosocial community’s understanding of group data analysis

  • Draws together the work of leading psychosocial theorists to interrogate the topic of individual and societal responses to child death and death more generally

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
  2. Introduction

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 1-10
  3. ‘A Place for Experience’

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 11-29
  4. Death in an Era of Inquiry

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 31-75
  5. Discovering the Depths

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 77-101
  6. Collective Stories

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 103-139
  7. Cathy

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 141-162
  8. Julia

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 163-181
  9. Laurie

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 183-205
  10. ‘Arriving Where I Started’

    • Denise Turner
    Pages 207-235
  11. Back Matter

    Pages 237-249

About this book

This book combines autobiography and innovative narrative research to create an original psychosocial perspective on the often taboo subject of sudden, unexpected child death.  Beginning with the author’s own experience, the book investigates manifold aspects of sudden, unexpected child death, including the professional rapid response; contemporary cultural reactions to death; theories of grieving; child death inquiries and popular media reporting. 

At the heart of the book are intimate personal stories, drawn from unprecedented psychosocial research on this topic, which combine to create a unique record of parent’s experiences following the sudden and unexpected death of a child. Additionally, the book offers original guidance on the Biographic Narrative Interpretive methodology, which extends knowledge of group data analysis. 

The book will be of great methodological interest to the psychosocial community, as well as to health and social care professionals and lay readers interested in both sudden, unexpected child death and the wider field.  

Keywords

  • Psychosocial
  • Social Work
  • Child Death
  • Grieving
  • Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method
  • Psychosocial methodology
  • Group Data Analysis
  • Emotional Politics
  • Klein and the ‘space that connects’
  • The Biographic Narrative Interpretive method
  • Sudden, Unexpected Death in Infancy’
  • ‘Rapid Response’ or Joint Agency Approach (JAA)
  • ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’

Reviews

“This is an excellent book for qualitative researchers, especially those interested in narrative approaches, but it is also an easy enough read for those interested in the topic of grief after losing a child through the lenses of societal perspectives and cultural constraints.” (Ileana Ungureanu, Doody's Book Reviews, April, 2018)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Lewes, United Kingdom

    Denise Turner

About the author

Denise Turner is a former social worker and currently works within academia. Her research interests include autobiographical research methods, bereavement and the openings created by loss, change and transition. This book is based on her personal experience of sudden, unexpected child death and builds on PhD research, completed at the University of Sussex, UK.    

Bibliographic Information

Buying options

eBook GBP 35.99
Price includes VAT (United Kingdom)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book GBP 44.99
Price includes VAT (United Kingdom)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book GBP 44.99
Price includes VAT (United Kingdom)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions