A Hospice in Change ─ Applied Social Realist Theory

A Hospice in Change: Applied Social Realist Theory will interest a broad spectrum of applied social theorists – indeed, anyone with an interest in connecting social science philosophy with concrete research practice – for, whilst not all applied social theorists are social or critical realists, critical realism is becoming more widely known and its particular approach to social explanation promises to be especially fruitful and the issues covered by this book have resonance beyond any one perspective.

For readers interested in hospice and palliative care (including readers with a generalised interest in end-of-life healthcare issues), the book provides a developed description of change within a single organisation that supports and advances upon descriptions of change offered elsewhere. Although the work might be considered a form of case study – and its conclusions are thus formally not generalisable – it nonetheless offers insights into processes of change that are likely to be recognised by practitioners situated at other hospices both within and without the UK.

This book will be of great interest to social and critical realists with an interest in applied and theoretical issues, hospice or palliative care practitioners, as well as those involved more loosely in end-of-life and healthcare issues.

Dr Martin Lipscombe is Senior Lecturer of Adult Nursing at the University of the West of England.