Recapturing the power of ritual to enhance community in aging

Nelson-Becker, Holly; Sangster, Kimberly

doi:10.1080/15528030.2018.1532858

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Our third finding of enacting MAiD as ceremony rather than procedure is supported by other studies (Buchbinder, 2018;Nelson-Becker & Sangster, 2019) and acknowledges the importance of ritual and ceremony in medically assisted deaths. We foreground an emergent relationship between ceremonies, experiential time, and assisted dying.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Experiences of grief-bereavement after a medically assisted death in Canada: Bringing death to life

Beuthin

Bruce

Thompson³

et al. 2021

Death Studies

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Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) legislation was passed in Canada in 2016, yet the bereavement experience of family and friends is not well understood. Using interpretive description, we interviewed nine bereaved individuals. The time before the assisted death seems most impactful-an experience of bringing death to life shapes bereavement after death. We identified themes that inform this grieving: (1) certainty of date/time of deathintensifies a parade of lasts, initiates a countdown and affords time to say goodbye ; (2) active family engagement as planners supports sense-making; and (3) enacting MAiD as ceremony slows time to "digest" loss.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Experiences of grief-bereavement after a medically assisted death in Canada: Bringing death to life

Beuthin

Bruce

Thompson³

et al. 2021

Death Studies

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“…Media often has its own perspective and purpose for death discourse. It brings communities together at difficult times ( Nelson-Becker & Sangster, 2018 ; Panti & Sumiala, 2009 ); publicises political views of death related to health care costs, assisted dying, or other matters; and sells subscriptions/markets its wares. Geographical and social distance at dying tend to be pathologised at worst and stigmatised at best.…”

Section: Media Representations Of Dying Alonementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This may have an unintended effect of isolating those who would prefer accompaniment at death. Meaning is often socially shaped in the praxis of life ( Nelson-Becker & Sangster, 2018 ). Lives have meaning for others and others have meaning for that one life in those who highly value and/or need social connections, such as those with a more extroverted style.…”

Section: Contemporary Dyingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dying alone and lonely dying: Media discourse and pandemic conditions

Nelson-Becker

Chapot

2020

Journal of Aging Studies

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Background and objectives This paper explores current concerns and practice related to older people dying alone in Intensive Care Units, care homes, and at home through media discussions during the Covid-19 pandemic and before. It addresses the historically-situated concept of a good death and a bad death and suggests why dying alone, whether completely alone or without significant others physically present, may be considered a bad death. Methods As evidence for collective fears about dying alone, we explored the treatment of these deaths in media using headline examples from the US New York Times and the English Guardian newspaper from the 19th century through Sept. 2020. Results A search of the New York Times located 39 articles with either lonely dying or lonely death in the headline. The Guardian had 25 articles with use of the term, but unlike the New York Times, no obituaries were included. Although the deaths profiled were deemed unusual, deaths by suicide were only minimally classed as dying alone. The condition of dying alone is represented as a stigmatised death. Themes addressed: 1) dying alone is a nonnormative event; 2) this death matters; and 3) where people die alone, societies should honour the death and learn from it. Discussion and implications Contemporary dying involves conditions for which we are unprepared as a society. We seldom address our civic obligations to each other. Few people have discussed their wishes about their preferences in dying and whether and how they want to be accompanied at their death, if possible. This is an invisible constraint of modern healthcare. Because of limited discussions and preparation, these deaths may lead to disenfranchised grief for the mourners. Cultural and societal responses to lonely dying are important in easing the emotional burden of dying alone, helping individuals prepare for this possibility and better integrating death with the life course. Recommendations include inclusion of accompaniment/nonaccompaniment at death as part of advance care planning and mitigation if this condition occurs. It is essential for individuals to find their own still point of acceptance within competing societal narratives of privileging the self in dying alone and the value of social connection.

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“…However, unlike other aspects of life that changed substantially since the days of early humans, cultural rituals and religious practices are relatively long-standing and more rooted in the psyche of human beings. Cultural rituals play a valuable role in supporting life transitions, crisis management, forging collective identity, reinforcing belonging, re-motivating purpose, and reducing anxiety ( Nelson-Becker & Sangster, 2019 ). Rituals are so critical to family and community life that Durkheim and Cosman (2001) viewed them as the glue that holds society together.…”

Section: Healing Grief and Rituals In The Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culture, politics and being more equal than others in COVID-19: some psychological anthropology perspectives

Pillay

2021

South African Journal of Psychology

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The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we view the world, human behaviour, and societal structures and institutions. The emerging subdiscipline of psychological anthropology is well placed to provide a perspective on the way individuals and communities are affected by and respond to the pandemic, as well as the fallout from government responses and prevention strategies. Moreover, this viewpoint enables insights into the workings of societal structures and agents of power in the context of a health crisis that is worsened by poverty, inequality, and structural violence. How communities respond and adapt to the ‘new normal’ are critical to holding governing structures accountable in situations where poor leadership, mismanagement, and unethical behaviour have been evident.

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Recapturing the power of ritual to enhance community in aging

Cited by 14 publications

References 14 publications

Experiences of grief-bereavement after a medically assisted death in Canada: Bringing death to life

Experiences of grief-bereavement after a medically assisted death in Canada: Bringing death to life

Dying alone and lonely dying: Media discourse and pandemic conditions

Culture, politics and being more equal than others in COVID-19: some psychological anthropology perspectives

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