Loneliness: the experience of emotional and social isolation

by Robert Stuart Weiss

Loneliness is among the most common distresses. In one survey, a quarter of Americans interviewed said that they had suffered from loneliness within the past few weeks. Yet for a condition so pervasive, loneliness has received little professional The Experience of Emotional and Social Isolation brings together papers which attempt to capture the phenomena of loneliness with case materials that illuminate the descriptive and theoretical acccounts. It is organized into seven sections, explanations for the neglect of loneliness, and an attept to describe the condition; mechanisms underlying some forms of loneliness; a discussion of situations in which loneliness is commonly found; loneliness among those suffering the loss of a loved one; the loneliness of social isolation; resources available to the lonely; and, finally, a look at issues yet to be dealt with and some suggestions for the management of loneliness. This book is a useful resource for social scientists, clinicians, and individuals who now or in the future may suffer from loneliness.

Genres: Psychology

236 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 1974

Reviews

[kopiokosong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book examines loneliness in a more "social" lens rather than a biological one; it deals with the misconceptions about loneliness and the explanations behind it. Loneliness isn't a response caused by being simply alone, the book argues. A common trope we can imagine is the person who is surrounded by people in a party that still feels lonely. Instead, it is an absence or loss of meaningful attachment. The book goes on to detail what constitutes a "meaningful" attachment, and how one may respond to loneliness through acceptance or establishing new relationships.

The bulk of the book comprises case studies of patients and how they relate to the theories posited by Weiss in the introductions. I found these introductions more useful than the case studies but it's a good read nonetheless if you have the time to spare.

[Adam Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of papers and case studies from the late 1960s and early 1970s for varying aspects of loneliness, introduced and prefaced by Robert Weiss to explain the concept of loneliness little researched prior to publication. Consequently, this book is dated and somewhat simplistic in its exploration of the central topic (several of the papers could be better described as looking at loss or grief) but nonetheless valuable as an initial foray into the subject.