Negotiating life for the dying: hospice and the strategy of tactical socialization

Hospice is often discussed as a social movement that is attempting to change not only the way particular patients experience dying, but the nature of death and dying for society as a whole. Participant observation research was conducted in the home care components of and a free-standing inpatient facility associated with several northeastern hospice organizations over the course of almost three years. The data are reported using negotiated order theory as a framework for understanding the hospice movement, and tactical socialization is identified as a major strategy of hospice workers for accomplishing their goals.