Att offentliggöra döden. Vad påverkar utformningen av dödsannonser?

Abstract

Since long time ago people have announced in one way or another when one of the members of their family had died. In the old times ”oral” messages were used, e.g. people went to their neighbors and told them what had happened. In church the priest announced the death of a member of the parish from the pulpit. When newspapers came into use at the end of 1800 and announcements became customary, this eventually turned out to be the ”proper” way in Sweden for announcing death. Culture has moulded the formula for announcing death in the newspapers. Consequently the annoncements have changed meanwhile along with changing cultural ideas. My study investigates those changing habits on announcing death, especially how modernity and post-modernity have influenced the changes. The ideas and thinking of the famous sociologist Zygmunt Bauman have had a considerable impact upon my own thinking. At the end of my study I look around for new influences concerning announcements about death. I ask the question on how all the new possibilities to communicate worlwide through internet will influence people. Will there be any more annoncements in the newspapers in the long run?