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Do we need a sociology of the dead?

Half of a tree alive and the other half dead
Seminars

This event is part of the Department of Social and Political Sciences’ research seminar series and hosted by Dr Mike Keenan (NTU).

Past event

Event details

This seminar is approached as an opportunity to discuss an idea in progress.  This is an idea I have been reflecting on for sometime and am finally starting to pull together.  Please note this is very early stages.

The sociology of death, dying and bereavement generally engages with the dead as absent. Death creates an absence with which we must cope, dying is the process by which we prepare for absenting and bereavement is how we mark and manage loss. However, to treat the dead as absent potentially ignores or misrepresents the many everyday presences of the dead.

This presentation will reflect on Susie Scott’s sociology of nothing which allows us to recognise the presence and impact of absence, and John Walliss’ discussions of continuing bonds between the living and the dead. It will also consider the potential relevance of hauntology. The paper will then present an illustrative rather than comprehensive discussion of the everyday presences of the dead in order to explore how the presence of the dead influences the everyday thoughts, choices and actions of the living.

Booking information

This event is part of the Department of Social and Political Sciences’ research seminar series (2022-2023). The research seminar will take place online and can be accessed using the following link:

Click here to join the meeting

Virtual Event https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2023/3/do-we-need-a-sociology-of-the-dead

Past event

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