Equity at the End : The New American Way of Death

In Equity at the End, authors Staci M. Zavattaro and Jennifer L. Wright-Berryman explore the intricate and often confusing landscape of deathcare in the United States. This complex system of public, private, and nonprofit institutions often leaves individuals perplexed as they navigate their final arrangements, revealing significant inequities. Combining comprehensive research from public administration and social work to examine policy design and deathcare bureaucracy, Zavattaro and Wright-Berryman scrutinize the governance of the deathcare system, the policies shaping it, and the economic and personal biases influencing its implementation. They begin by defining the concept of death equity, exploring disparities in access to resources like eco-friendly burials, identity-aligned services, and affordable body disposition. Through their extensive research, including interviews with over 70 deathcare professionals from both the public and private sectors, the authors provide readers with tools to navigate these inequities, addressing the reluctance to discuss and prepare for death. Equity at the End offers practical tools and insights to reduce inequities and improve transparency in the deathcare system. Promoting death literacy and equitable practices, this work is essential reading for social scientists, public policy experts, healthcare professionals, and educators.