Funerals as a social phenomenon in past and present

Funerals are a phenomenon that occurs over 90 000 times per year (on average 250 per day) in Sweden and which everyone is faced with at some point. This makes funerals, and what occurs in connection with these, to a social field which touches everyone over time and therefore provides a unique opportunity to gain knowledge of and understand society and its changes. In addition studies in the field of funerals are conducted from a number of different disciplines.

During the 1990s at the Centre for Theology and Religious studies at Lund University, a number of larger research projects focussing on funerals were conducted. Since then, in Sweden further research has been conducted, but surprisingly few larger projects in the field have been carried out. The aim of the network is to address the lack of research by bringing together researchers who have carried out, are undertaking or planning research within the field and to do this in collaboration with practitioners in the area such as funeral directors and cemetary management. Research can cover funerals historically as well as in the present day, and the scientific starting points can be, for example, sociological, anthropological, ethnographic as well as political scientific, juridical and architectural.

For information on the network and activities contact coordinator Magdalena Nordin, LIR, Gothenburg University (magdalena.nordin@lir.gu.se) or CRS director Martha Middlemiss Lé Mon (martha.middlemiss@teol.uu.se).