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Bd. 33 Nr. 1 (2026): Queerness repräsentieren. Methodische und ethische Herausforderungen bei der Porträtierung von queer Lebensgeschichten

The Comfort of Standardisation in the Face of Funeral Pluralism: Comfort of Standardisation in the Face of Funeral Pluralism

Eingereicht
July 4, 2025
Veröffentlicht
2026-06-25

Abstract

Losing a close relative in old age is nowadays a very common occurrence. But what does it mean in practice to organise a funeral for someone over 80, in a context characterised by the pluralisation of our relationship with death and the dead? This article tries to shed some light on this question. Based on an ethnographic study carried out in Switzerland on bereavement of oldest-old individuals, it focuses on the moment of funeral organisation between the oldest-old mourner, his or her relatives, and funeral professionals. It highlights, on the one hand, the effects of a particular context, that of a public funeral centre offering a (conditionally) “free of charge” regime, and, on the other hand, a particular mode of negotiation based on consensus, simplicity, and comfort, which is not unrelated to the age of the bereaved, during elaboration of funeral practices.

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