Faculty Publications

What Is The Truth Of Death And Dying? Reflections On Fulton, Foucault, And Finitude

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Bio-politics, Death, Discourse, Dying, HIV/AIDS

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Illness Crisis and Loss

Volume

13

Issue

1

First Page

63

Last Page

73

Abstract

This article highlights Michel Foucault's neglected insights regarding the social and discursive construction of death in contemporary Western societies. It also describes the limitations of Foucault's views, pointing out some of the key dimensions of death, dying, and resistance he overlooks because he downplays the agency exercised by human beings. The article concludes with a discussion of how and why Foucault's analyses need the corrective offered by Robert Fulton's work. Fulton recognizes and emphasizes the human capacity for agency, meaning making, and resistance, particularly in addressing the "truth" of death and dying. © 2005, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.

Department

Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology

Original Publication Date

1-1-2005

DOI of published version

10.1177/105413730501300106

Link to Full Text

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