ASDS News With its changed membership ASDS Council goes into a new year with a focus on developing the association in the context of familiar and fresh challenges facing Higher Newsletter Education. We have started the process of planning our next DDD conference which will Editor: Joan Lee e-mail mark the association’s 10th Anniversary in 2019 [email protected] and will keep members informed as the plans nd Edition 10 February 2 2018 progress.

Contents: ASDS membership Editor’s comments– page 1 Thank you for bearing with us as we manage Practice and policy news – page 2 the transition to a shared timeframe for Call for papers – page 4 membership renewal. Conversations during Conference and event reports – page 4 this process have highlighted the of Forthcoming conferences – page 6 clarifying membership benefits which are Books, journals, resources – page 8 summarised below:- Job opportunities – page 8  Four issues of Mortality (published by Taylor and Francis, RRP £112) Editor’s comments:  Reduced fee for a print subscription for Studies ( Special issue rate of Welcome to the first newsletter for 2018 which £36.00) For details see ASDS website comes to you with the latest roundup of some  Reduced rates to future DDD conferences of the practice and policy matters in the end of (for year of membership) life and death and with news of forthcoming events and activities that are being organised  Access to membership network, via the ASDS website, including: by members and within the wider death studies community.  Inclusion in the membership register  Database of members' teaching and We bring details of an interesting opportunity research interests to contribute to a national film on death  List of members' publications related rituals which we believe ASDS members are well placed to participate in  Catalogue of thesis abstracts (see page 4).  Networking facilities, including an online forum We also bring details of two emerging  Quarterly ASDS Newsletter networks for those working in the death Please direct any queries about ASDS studies and end of life field – CDAS membership to Membership Secretary Dr Community of Practice and the Death and Erica Borgstrom [email protected] Network being developed from York University (page 3). ****************** We hope you enjoy this edition and look forward to your news for the next edition due ASDS President Hilary Grainger was among out at the end of April with a copy deadline of those awardee an OBE for her for services to th April 13 Higher Education in this years’ honours list. Congratulations Hilary!

1

Dying matters week – ASDS involvement * Our Commitment to you for end of life care The Government Response to the Review of ASDS Council has been discussing Choice in End of Life Care” http://bit.ly/2adf3Rs participation in this years’ week of activity with For the full report go to http://bit.ly/2AjF95K the focus “what can you do”. ASDS Council members will be taking part in a variety of activities and events and we would like to hear NHS Mortuary errors about any events you may be taking part in. A study recently published by the Journal of

the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) reveals Please email our Administrator Joan Lee errors in identification and release of bodies [email protected] with details of from NHS Mortuaries in England. The study any events and activities you are planning to believed to be the first of its kind to examine attend or take part in. this type of serious incident analysed 132 We can also provide supplies of ASDS incidents reported in England to a national promotional leaflets if you would like any for NHS database between 1 April 2002 and 31 the events you will be attending. Please March 2013. The errors discovered included 25 contact our Secretary Helen Frisby post-mortems on the wrong body, and 31 [email protected] who will be pleased to incidents related to the disposal of bodies. The send you a supply. underlying causes of the errors were identified as “weaknesses in or failures to follow protocol and procedure, poor communication and Practice and policy news informal working practices.” For more info go to the JRSM website http://bit.ly/2FZounl

Variation in end of life care For a copy of the paper contact: In its recent report “The final injustice – Rosalind Dewar, Media Office, Royal Society of variation in end of life care” Macmillan Cancer Medicine. [email protected] Support has highlighted the insufficient DL: +44 (0) 1580 764713 progress in translating the Government’s M: +44 (0) 7785 182732 commitment* to improving end of life care across England into tangible improvements for patients. The original commitment emphasised Changing methods of disposal of bodies - the need for equal access to end of life care Eco & Resomation regardless of geography, age, diagnosis, Plans to introduce an ecological form of background or means. cremation in Kent for those who do not wish to be buried or cremated using the current The report makes recommendations for the method have recently been halted due to local department of Health, NHS England, the opposition. The crematorium would have been Secretary of State for Health, Health Education the first in Britain to use `’ a “freeze England, Leaders of sustainability and dry” method to dispose of bodies and was transformation partnerships, local expected to lead the development of an commissioners and providers to take action alternative approach which could help address aimed at improving practice in end of life care. the problem of lack of space facing many local Two examples of good practice are presented authorities. Promession was developed by in the report – Macmillan Specialist Care at Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak at the Home and the North Manchester Macmillan turn of the century and has received interest Support Service, together with from over 60 countries. To read more about data relating to future demand for end of life Promession http://bit.ly/2nnJ5t8 care. Telegraph article http://bit.ly/2nhaSMe

2

Whilst in the west midlands resomation is areas of policy, practice and research related to being considered by the Rowley Regis Death, Dying and Bereavement in the South Crematorium in Sandwell, West Midlands. Also West of England. The aim is to facilitate and known as liquid cremation the process of foster a community of people and resomation reduces most of the body to a organisations that places the South West as liquid that has been described as resembling the UK’s hub of expertise and best practice in “weak coffee”. In an article published recently death, dying and bereavement. in the Independent an explanation of the Over two sessions attended by more than 30 process is given and Rosie Inman-Cook, people from across the dying and manager of the Natural Death Centre charity bereavement sectors we discussed issues offers a view on its role within future body within the South West and opportunities for disposal practice. To read the full article smarter working practices and innovation. As https://ind.pn/2nkseaw the Community develops we will keep our wider CDAS network abreast of developments. Hospice service plans Watch this space... If you want to know more, A recent move by a Somerset based Hospice or to join our Community, please contact (St Margaret’s Hospice) to offer funeral [email protected] services has sparked debate within the funeral sector. The hospice views the development as Network (DaCNet) a natural extension of its services to support The Death and Culture Network (DaCNet) was patients and families facing life-long illnesses. formally established in 2017 by Ruth Penfold- In association with Memoria St Margaret’s Mounce, Julie Rugg, Ben Poore (University of plans to open several units across Somerset York) and Jack Denham (York St John which will offer this service. University). It is committed to promoting and producing an inter-disciplinary study of The national association of Funeral Directors mortality supported by evidence and framed (NAFD) has expressed concern that families by theoretical engagement. may be encouraged “or feel obligated to use the hospice’s funeral service rather than DaCNet runs a biennial conference of which checking the services, quality and prices of a the next – Death and Culture II – is to be held range of local funeral providers” To read more in York in September 2018. The conference about the NAFD view http://bit.ly/2DCym4H focuses on the impact of mortality on culture and the ways in which death shapes human In an article on December 8th the Guardian behaviour through action, production and reported that Fran Hall, the editor of the Good expression. The abstract submission deadline Funeral Guide, is writing to all 191 chairs of is 1st April 2018. hospices across the UK this week, warning them of potential “catastrophic” damage to The Emerald Series in Death and Culture is their reputations if they sign up. edited by DaCNet steering group members and seeks to publish books of a cross- For the full article use http://bit.ly/2k0hpsj disciplinary nature that are at the forefront of new ideas, subjects, theoretical applications and explorations of less conventional cultural CDAS Community of Practice engagement with death and the dead. 15th November 2017 marked the launch of the CDAS Community of Practice. This initiative DaCNet also has monthly meetings of the aims to bring together practitioners, Death and Culture Reading Group. Aiming to stakeholders, policymakers, academics, and meet monthly in York the reading group is other interested parties to build a community made up of early career researchers and of like-minded individuals to work on priority established academics often meeting in a local pub. So far the group has tackled publications

3 on military violence and play, pet death, Seymour and Allan Kellehear. Both spoke necrocapitalism and and have frankly about the challenge of conducting plans for many more death related readings. meaningful social science research whilst For more information about DaCNet including maintaining a space in academia. Matching the Death and Culture Conference please go the focus of ASDS, it is pertinent that their to our website: presentations advocated for inter-disciplinary https://www.york.ac.uk/sociology/research/d working to generate meaningful change and eath-and-culture/ or email death-and- improvement to palliative and end-of-life care. [email protected]. The convenors, Erica Borgstrom, Natashe Follow us on: @DeathandCultureNet Lemos Dekker and Sarah Hoare, together with the workshop delegates are grateful for the Conference and event reports financial support of ASDS, which funded travel Workshop report on ‘Researching end-of- grants for delegates and helped ensured the life care from a social science perspective’ event was free to attend for all. Further Social science understandings of death and information can be found on the event dying have much to contribute to the delivery webpage. of end-of-life care, but they are often not Sarah Hoare - early-career medical sociologist, explicitly acknowledged. A recent workshop, Open University. supported by funding from the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness and ASDS sought to address this. Call for papers/contributions Delegates from across the humanities and International film on death rituals social sciences discussed a variety of topics, "Flood Projects are looking to connect with encompassing scholarship on current policy people all over the world who are involved in issues, to more holistic consideration of the any rituals surrounding death for a unique self and the process of dying. Workshop feature film project directed by award-winning participants addressed these diverse areas filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson. Amiel’s through short presentations, elaborating on previous films have screened at Sundance pre-circulated papers. Sessions on the first day (Chasing Buddha, 2000) Cannes (Cicada, 2009) addressed problems in the use of advance care the Venice Film Festival (Hail, 2011 and Ruin, planning, the place of home as a setting for 2013) and the Whitney Museum in New York care-provision, the role of family carers, and (The Silent Eye, 2016). topics including ethics in end-of-life care and the use of the hospital as a site of The film will be a hypnotic, feature length research. The second day of the workshop cinematic poem dealing with the themes of broached issues of truth-telling in end-of-life physicality, change and ultimately life and care, the meaning of the concept of a good death, featuring a series of impressionistic death, and the challenge and limits of portraits of the human body after death and providing medical care for the dying. A funeral rituals around the world - A devotional prevalent topic across both days of the work charting how we carve out space for our workshop was the extent of personhood in , that will enable people to contemplate dying and death, as well as an death in a very meditative and personal acknowledgement of the messy reality of manner unlike they have before. dying and reflexive methodological issues of We are interested in all religious ceremonies doing research on these topics. and all non-religious or personal ceremonies. We are also looking for clinical procedures, Delegates benefited from contributions from and all commemorative rituals, memorials or the two keynote speakers, Professors Jane celebrations.

4

If you are interested in sharing your ritual with CDAS Conference 2018: The Politics of us, or you are a researcher, deathcare Death – 8th & 9th June deadline for abstracts th practitioner or community leader with links to February 28 people who may be interested in talking with us, please forward your details to Alice at The June 2018 Centre for Death and Society Annual Conference will focus on the Politics of [email protected] . Death and what the discovery and re-discovery We look forward to hearing about your of death politics means for power, , traditions and collaborating with you on this bioethics, the rule of law, and most importantly ground breaking feature film. - death and dying.

Possible topics could include: Playing Dead Research Centre for Social  Assisted dying Sciences, University of York 17 May 2018 –  Activism and death politics Deadline for abstracts February 28th  Feminist critiques of death politics This one-day symposium aims to explore the across time intersections that exist between death, culture  The history of death focussed activism (e.g., AIDS and ACT-UP, Black Lives and play. Play is used in a board sense to mean Matter, etc.) leisure activities more generally and, as such,  Power relationships between the state not only encapsulates the playing of (non) and the individual digital games, but also the consumption of  The economics of death and poverty cinema, literature, comics, etc. Alongside a  Brexit and transnational politics of keynote address from Professor Christopher death (e.g., post-mortem repatriation, Partridge (Lancaster University) abstracts are cadaveric organ sharing, etc.) sought from individuals wishing to present a  Death and human choice twenty-minute paper.  The politics of death nostalgia  Death and social class Themes might include, but are not limited to,  Debates around life and death and the following:- personhood  State ordered executions and •death and the popular imagination  Death technologies of power, control, •the presentation of death in literature and discipline, and preservation cinema  and •explorations of death and gaming commodification •horror and the Gothics interactions with death  Isolation at the end of life •the dead and the undead  The commodification of death •funerary rituals experiences •dark tourism  Political protests and dead political •presentation of the corpse in leaders •memorialisation, digital culture, and media  (Neo)colonialism and death politics  Memorialisation / monumentalisation Abstracts of no more than 300 words should of dead political leaders be supplied, along with a biography of up to  The politics of post-mortem evidence in policy making and with policy 200 words to [email protected] by the makers 28 February 2018. You will be informed about  Law and genocide the success of your abstract no later than 9  Urban planning and deathscapes March 2018. Please send a 300 Word abstract to Booking for this event will open in March 2017. [email protected] by 28 February 2018.

5

DORS4: The 4th Symposium of the Future conferences and events International Death Online Research

Network' 15-17 August 2018 University of The Institute of Dark Tourism Research Hull – Deadline for abstracts March 1st (IDTR) February 15-16 Inholland University

in Amsterdam, Netherlands – a forum for This symposium will consolidate the links international educators, scholars, researchers, between existing and new members of the industry professionals, policy-makers, and network and provide opportunities for the graduate students to present and evaluate discussion of ongoing and new orientations in emerging paradigms and discuss pioneering the interdisciplinary field of death online. The practices within the broader meeting will explore the ways in which online field. The conference is open to students, connectivity is changing how, when and where researchers, and industry representatives of we engage with death and dying and how we visitor attractions that might be considered invest death-related practices with meaning in ‘dark tourism’ venues such as museums, the online environment. We warmly welcome themed attractions, , new members to the network as well as old remembrance monuments and battlefields. friends. The conference will host a special For more information http://bit.ly/2E0ViOK workshop for participating Post Graduate students and early career researchers. Life, death ( and the Rest) Festival February Abstracts for oral presentations of new, 22-25 Arnos Vale , Bristol an recently completed, or ongoing research or annual 4 day event of talks, walks, theatre and ideas for future academic research on the film that supports a growing social movement following themes are welcomed:- talking about death, and how we remember our loved ones. Activities include a • Digitally mediated dying and narrative with tea, cake and the opportunity to discuss • Digitally mediated grieving and death, as well as opportunity to take part in memorialising fascinating Morbid Curiosity tours, the chance • Death online and embodied experience to learn about Memorial Tattoos with Dr John • Digital , post-mortem identity and Troyer, listen to Carla Valentine talk about her digital legacy book “Past Mortems” or to celebrate your own • Technological developments in the death mortality with The Death Show. care industry For more information http://bit.ly/2Gs1gGB • Digital • Online vs offline experiences Sheffield Death Group Events 2018 • Theorising online life and death • Ethical challenges for studying death online. What shall I do about my death? Tuesday 20 February 2018 4.30pm-6.00pm Key information to note: Room 215, Elmfield Building. Submission format: 300 word abstract Hilary Page will be asking the question 'What Submission deadline: March 1st, 2018 Shall I Do about My Death?’ She will be Submission feedback: April 1st, 2018 speaking about The Advanced Decision, Registration opens: May 1st, 2018 drawing on her experiences as a daughter, a GP and a Civil Servant involved in developing For more information http://bit.ly/2nns3Ly health and social policy for elderly people. Hilary will be discussing the legal and medical arrangements and how the Advance Decision works in different clinical situations, with plenty of time for questions to broaden the conversation.

6

Tuesday 20 March 2018 4.30pm-6.00pm The conference will focus upon inequalities, Room 215, Elmfield Building tackling variations and addressing the practical Ray French and Kath McKay will be sharing issues in meeting the needs of individuals their book, End Notes: Ten Stories about Loss, towards the end of their life. and Commemoration, offering an The conference will update delegates on the challenges of fulfilling a dying person’s needs insight into the thinking behind it and how the within a care setting and focus on social action writers were selected, as well as reading short and peer mentoring projects within the extracts from a selection of the stories. community. Attendees are encouraged to read the book prior to attendance, which is available as a free There will be an opportunity for delegates to download here. engage in roundtable activities with members of the Death and Dying Group about BBC2’s For more information or to join the group ‘Time to Live’. This programme followed the which aims to offer a friendly and informal journey of twelve individuals through their space for discussion and collaboration please diagnosis of a and living and contact one of the co-convenors: coping with dying. Julie Ellis [email protected]. For more information http://bit.ly/2AlYL8m (Research Associate, Department of Sociological Studies Laura Towers (Doctoral Researcher, The Senses and Spaces of Death, Dying and Department of Sociological Remembering: Historical and Contemporary Studies): [email protected]. Perspectives Live Art Bistro, Regent Street, Leeds 27-28 March 2018 This conference will consider spatial, The second Skeletons, Stories, and Social emotional and embodied perspectives on Bodies conference, University of death, dying and remembrance. It will Southampton 20th – 22nd March 2018 instigate a conversation about the role of The conference aims to cover a wide range of space and the way being in particular places areas related to death, anatomy, attitudes to can affect our emotional states, as part of a the body, mortuary practices, and more. We process of remembrance. aim to cover various aspects of death through Our confirmed keynote speakers are Professor presentations, discussion panels, and tailored Allan Kellehear (University of Bradford) and Dr workshops. Avril Maddrell (University of Reading). The Key dates to note: programme will also feature contributions Last date to register: from international artists. Monday 19th February 2018* For more information http://bit.ly/2hEdwJ3 * After this date, please contact us via email. SSSB ART EXHIBITION: Wednesday 21st March 2018 Remember Me. The Changing Face of For more information go to Memorialisation 4-7 April 2018, Hull, UK https://www.sssbconference.co.uk/cfp This interdisciplinary conference brings together British and international Open University Death & Dying Group researchers from a wide range of disciplines, Conference 21st March 2018 The Open exploring themes relating to University, Milton Keynes 09:30 – 16:00. memorialisation. The theme of the conference is addressing the Further information and details of the issues in end of life care and the ways in which conference programme area available on the the health, social care and academic conference site. For directions on how to community can and are mitigating the impact access the site go to http://bit.ly/2FpMPBK of these challenges.

7

Death and Culture event York University Books, journals, resources May 17th

A one-day symposium which aims to explore the intersections that exist between death, Farewell Doby: Grief, Loss & Pawsitive culture and play. For more details see call for Thoughts to Light the Way by papers page 6 or go to http://bit.ly/2DS0kxs Dr. Lakhbir K. Jassal Farewell Doby is a interactive and creative book which offers practical and compassionate Depiction of the Dead Ethical Challenges advice from a clinician's/counsellors point of and Cognitive Bias view in dealing with death, grief and loss for A panel convened by Professor. Caroline several years with children, youth and adults. Wilkinson and Kathryn Smith for Art, Farewell Doby is a valuable book Materiality and Representation, British devoted to help parent's, caregivers, guardians Museum, 1-3 June 2018 and others support children as they deal with For more informationhttp://bit.ly/2njDO6u their diverse emotional responses to a pet's Convenor contact details: death be that a special dog, cat, horse, Caroline Wilkinson [email protected] hamster, or other beloved animal. The book is Kathryn Smith [email protected] filled with creative exercises and emotional tasks designed to help children reflect and heal as they go through their unique grief journey. CDAS Conference 2018: The Politics of Death The June 2018 Centre for Death and Society Job opportunities Annual Conference will focus on the Politics of Death and what the discovery and re-discovery Lecturer (Assistant Professor)/Senior of death politics means for power, sovereignty, Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Social bioethics, the rule of law, and most importantly Work University of Bath - Social & Policy - death and dying. Sciences. Full time, permanent post. Deadline for abstracts February 28 – see page We welcome applicants with a doctorate in any in Call for papers page 4 subfield of social work and are particularly For more information go to http://bit.ly/2xAj2ls keen to strengthen the department’s interests in adult care, including end of life care; mental The Material Body, 1500–1900 A health; child protection and care; international Conference of Archaeologists and social work; social work and welfare. Historians 4–5 July 2018, University Of Proposed start date: 1 May 2018 Birmingham. Funded by The British Academy Deadline: 8th February 2018 Supported by BRIHC. Focussing on the insights For more information: http://bit.ly/2nzhRiX of the two disciplines of and History, this conference will explore an PhD Studentships in Health, Wellbeing interdisciplinary approach to bodies 'in the and Social Care Open University, Milton 'long early modern' or post-medieval past'. For Keynes- Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and more information Language Studies. Full time www.birmingham.ac.uk/thematerialbody Applications are invited for a number of Twitter: @KHarveyHistory @ecraigatkins themes including “Death, dying and #materialbody bereavement. For information on how to apply Email: [email protected] http://bit.ly/1RAFktL Please contact Dr Lindsay O’Dell [email protected] th Deadline; March 11 For information http://bit.ly/2FDVJvj

8