Culture, contexts and connections: a conversation with Dennis Klass about his life and work as a bereavement scholar

Abstract

This article is a conversation between Edith Maria Steffen and Dennis Klass, one of the originators of the continuing bonds model in bereavement. Steffen and Klass recently co-edited a new anthology on continuing bonds that follows the developments in the continuing bonds model of grief over the last two decades. Klass got into the field of bereavement studies initially through working with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and continued by engaging in ethnographic research with a self-help group of bereaved parents. Trying to make sense of the parents’ experiences, he tested different theories against the data from the bereaved parents, which led him to discard conventional theories and instead apply what he saw in Japanese ancestor rituals to the practices of the bereaved parents. Klass discusses how the idea of continuing bonds was born, how the 1996 publication came about, how it was received, and how he took this work further. He looks back on his life and work and looks ahead towards work that still needs to be done. The conversation then turns to Klass’ idea that consolation is a neglected area in bereavement and ends with Klass giving advice to novice bereavement scholars, which could be summarised in his motto, follow the data.

Keywords:

• Continuing bonds
• consolation
• cross-cultural research
• ethnography
• rituals
• self-help

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Nancy Joy Long for reading the manuscript and making helpful suggestions for improvement.

Notes

1. In the United States, due to the model of healthcare delivery that requires individuals to have private insurance, treatment including psychological therapy, is covered by insurance only if a health condition has received a diagnosis.