Complex Worlds, Complex People: Auto-Ethnographic Conversations on Decolonising the Aftermath of Death

In earlier work we raised the need to ‘decolonise bereavement studies’ (Hamilton et al., 2022). In this chapter we explore the complexities of what this might mean in terms of lived experiences. We move beyond individualised and psychologised perspectives of ‘bereavement and grief’, to consider the aftermath of death in the continuing lives of the living as deeply relational, experienced in everyday relationships of families and communities (Ribbens McCarthy et al., 2023). Our sociological lens draws attention to how such lived experiences are situated through institutionalised and racialised patterns of inequality and power. Yet, sociology as a discipline ‘hasn’t always addressed the …. global dimension [of structural inequalities] or the lasting impact of colonialism and empire’ (Bhambra, 2021).

By developing a collaborative auto-ethnographic conversational approach, we consider our historically and culturally situated identities as three women of diverse heritage, reflecting on our experiences of how our families and communities ‘do’ death and its aftermath. What emerged are experiences shaped by inter-generational colonial histories, which change over time and generations; experiences shaped by valued cultural and religious heritages, alongside current experiences of racism, inequalities, transnational mobility and rootedness.

Taking an intersectional lens, we consider how our legacies and biographies shaped our experiences of the aftermath of death. In the process we sometimes find ourselves surprised by the resonances between our experiences, but also what we learn further about the divergences. In this way, we seek to open nuanced spaces for opening up an enriching scenery in considering ‘bereavement’ landscapes.