Back to Nature? The cultural, social and emotional implications of natural burial.

<p>Abstract copyright data collection owner.</p>The aim of this research project was to investigate the cultural, social and emotional implications of how we treat people after their death and specifically the development of natural burial. Four key areas of inquiry were pursued: 1)Natural burial as creative resistance to modernist disposal and memorization, eg, does natural burial provide an opportunity for individual choices to be made and/or the opportunity to show environmental awareness?; 2)Natural burial as an aspect of the re-enchantment of death, eg, do natural burial grounds offer their users a place where emotions and feelings are stimulated and expressed rather than contained and suppressed?; 3)Natural burial as symbolic and environmental regeneration, eg, are users of natural burial sites offered the chance to create a shared landscape for burial, wildlife and informal recreation that benefits both nature and society?; and 4)Natural burial as identification, eg, what are the implications of natural burial for the long-term identity of both bereaved people and the deceased? The purpose was to map the extent to which changing trends are shaping the culture of death, both now and in the future. Through longitudinal ethnographic work alongside the building of a Geographical Information System of UK provision, comprehensive data emerged of how natural burial is being materialized in the UK. The dataset includes interview transcriptions with bereaved participants, pre-purchasers, death care professionals and burial ground managers at 4 UK natural burial grounds. The data for each of the 4 ethnographic field sites(A,B,C and D) is grouped around each of those sites. It also includes transcriptions of 3 focus group meetings with members of the public who had no prior experience of natural burial. Finally, it includes a dataset which consists of an excel database of all known natural burial grounds where the research was concluded in September 2010. <p>Project description:</p>This project investigates changing approaches to the disposal of the human body, focusing on the expansion of 'natural burial' provision in the UK since 1993. This provides a case study which now encompasses over 200 sites. The work is multidisciplinary, combining anthropological and sociological questions about religion, death ritual, landscape and nature with landscape architecture's perspectives on the management and usage of the natural environment. It asks what the trend towards natural burial reveals about belief systems and practices around death in the UK. Research questions included: (1) Do the ecological implications of natural burial make it a focus for more collective responses to death? (2) Or is natural burial an indicator of a post-modern trend towards individualized life style options, another item of consumption used to sustain particular identities? (3) Do the values which natural burial represents have positively perceived yet vague meanings which unite individuals within an apparently cohesive ‘Movement’ - for example, ethical concerns for the environment, ecology, nature as a site for emotional solace