Scholarly record

POSTMODERN STRATEGIES OF TAMING DEATH AND CHANGES IN THE BURIAL CULTURE IN POLAND

Anna Karnat

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to show the changes taking place in the burial culture in Poland and to explain their conditions. Although the burial culture can still be considered in the light of tradition, it is currently undergoing significant and visible changes. These are due to a number of reasons, including the professionalization and commercialization of funeral services, as well as the marketisation of the funeral industry and the adoption of Western cultural models. The change in traditional funeral patterns is also influenced by postmodern strategies of taming the fact of death and its institutionalization. The analysis is based on the literature of the subject and the results of the own research conducted systematically in recent years. They shall clearly indicate the subjective establishment of individuals with regard to the determination of a rite of passage's nature. The burial scenario no longer depends only on traditionally established patterns (sacral funeral) but is a consequence of the will of the deceased and the decision of his or her family. This is especially true of secular funerals, which are characterized by great variety and uniqueness. The combination of tradition and postmodern patterns is a specific

Publication details

Back to publication list