On Loss and Losing: Beyond the Medical Model of Personal Distress - Hardcover

Fein, Melvyn L.

9781412842501: On Loss and Losing: Beyond the Medical Model of Personal Distress

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1412842506 ISBN 13: 9781412842501

Publisher: Routledge, 2011

All people suffer instances of personal loss that cause distress. All too often, their discomfort is treated as a medical issue requiring treatment—usually through medication. 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 urges that we distinguish between the loss of something we once possessed and losing something that never came to fruition. Thus, it is possible never to achieve vital social roles, social statuses, and/or personal bonds, despite our individual efforts. While some of these losses are not necessarily problematic, others are extremely painful. Unfortunately, rather than investigate the source of this discomfort, distraught individuals frequently seek refuge in simplistic solutions. As a consequence, one of the reasons the medical model remains dominant is that the alternative is imperfectly understood.

Fein presents a compelling case for a 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.

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About the Author:

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:

“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, or interpersonal bond problems). He argues that it is not within the purview of medicine to ‘diagnose’ or ‘cure’ the loss of, or failure to attain, satisfying social roles, ranks, or relationships. Rather, what is required is resocialization so that the distressed individual can adopt strategies permitting more successful behavioral patterns. Dr. Fein presents evidence linking the acquisition of new emotional and relationship skills as the key to the amelioration of serious, socially created personal discontents. Undoubtedly, therapists, clinicians, and others in the helping professions will want to integrate Dr. Fein’s innovative analyses and recommendations into their rehabilitation endeavors.”

—Albert E. McCormick, Jr., M2 Research and Consulting

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