Death & Relationships (BSA)

‌‌About the Event

While physical death occurs to the embodied individual, those who die and those who knew the deceased are embedded within a wider network of relationships. As such, a developing body of sociological literature recognises the value of looking beyond the individual in the context of death and dying. Applying relational perspectives to the end of life can develop our understanding of both the living and the deceased, as well as the connection between the two. Yet it is important to acknowledge that relationships extend beyond human interaction and can include bonds with a variety of non-human ‘others’ such as pets, projects, places and material objects. These connections play a significant role in everyday life, be it positive or negative, but their salience in death, and dying in particular, requires further sociological exploration.

The day will open with a short screening and plenary session led-by The Good Grief Project discussing relationships in their film about grief A Love that Never Dies.