This is an online event and will take place on Zoom
Is the 'West' really Deathphobic?
Is planning the perfect funeral really helping you cope with existential dread?
What if I can't give my loved one the perfect 'good death' they wanted, did I fail them?
The Death Positive Movement is a loose configuration of public advocacy groups centred around issues of death and dying. The Movement has garnered many supporters, particularly online, despite having few concrete policy objectives. Topics that fall under the Death Positive prevue vary widely from grief support to broadcasts of sensational tales of famous deaths. The main focus however seems to centre around general death education with the goal of using online communications to eradicate a 'culture of silence' around death and dying. The Death Positive worldview accepts as a default that the English-speaking world is inherently in a state of death denial. That denial creates a taboo around speaking about death that in turn creates a culture of silence which is harmful to the living and the dying.
While this talking point is often touted it is rarely given supportive evidence or critical examination. Is there a taboo around death? Is there a culture of silence? Are these experiences cultural, geographical or personal? Are these experiences the universal they are being presented as? If these things are true, what evidence is that Death Positive content creation is helpful?
In this talk, Nuri McBride will examine the foundational concepts in the modern Death Positive Movement as well as discuss its predecessors and philosophical roots. She will discuss the diversity of thought around death and dying advocacy both within and outside of DPM. This information is presented in the hopes of empowering individuals to engage in critical dialogue around advocacy that affects them, their communities, and their deathcare.
About Nuri McBride
Nuri is a 5th generation Chevra Kadisha member and has been participating in Jewish burial and grief care for over fifteen years. Beyond supporting her own community, Nuri works with secular or non-Orthodox Jews to help them reclaim their heritage of community deathcare. She also works with non-Jewish communities to assists them in exploring paths to non-profit mutual aid around death and dying for their community. Per her religious beliefs, Nuri does not financial profit off of her work around death and dying and the proceeds of this talk will be donated. Nuri works as a writer and researcher with specialities in olfactive culture and law. She is currently the Scent and Society curator at the Institute for Art and Olfaction.
https://nurimcbride.com