'It comes to us all': Death and Dying discussion series
A series of six panels and lectures at the Intellectual Forum explored the universal human experience of death and dying from cultural, spiritual, legal, and technological perspectives.
The series, co-organised by IF Deputy Director Dr Eleanor O鈥橤orman and 汤头条原创 Postdoctoral Associate Dr Ben Bowers, took place between 17 October and 20 November 2024. It brought together researchers, clinicians, and members of the public from all walks of life to talk about a topic that concerns everyone, yet often remains taboo.
Almost 1600 people registered to join in these discussions in-person and online across the six events. Online viewers joined from around the globe, from countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, the United States, Malaysia, and Japan.
Expert speakers considered questions such as:
- Can we combat inequalities in death and dying?
- How are developments in technology changing our experience of death?
- What is a 鈥榞ood death鈥?
The 'good death' was series co-facilitator Dr Bowers's subject in the third panel event. He said: 鈥淲hile many of us hope for a comfortable death surrounded by loved ones at home, people are often unprepared for the realities of death, which can be quite different.
鈥淲e hope by bringing people together to have these important discussions we can encourage people to break down this last taboo to talk about death frankly and practically.鈥
Dr Julian Huppert, Director of the Intellectual Forum, also hoped to encourage conversation through the series. He said: 鈥淭here has been lots of public discussion about assisted dying, and the benefits of giving back some form of control to individuals over the timing, comfort and means of their death. This is hugely important - but just part of the wider discussions we need to have. As a society, we too often avoid discussions about death and dying, a natural part of our human experience. It鈥檚 time we talked about this more openly.鈥
Dying at the margins: The inequalities of access to end-of-life care
17 October, Frankopan Hall, 5.30pm-7.00pm.
Death is a universal experience; how we die is not.
Despite advancements in medical care, significant disparities remain in the accessibility and quality of end-of-life care based on socioeconomic status, geographic location, ethnicity, and other social determinants.
Drawing on insights from Prof Stephen Barclay, Dr Glenys Caswell, and Dr Naomi Richards, this panel explored the challenges faced by marginalised communities and the steps needed to ensure equitable end-of-life care for all.
Digital immortality: On new forms of care, responsibility, and empathy in the age of AI
25 October, Frankopan Hall, 5.30pm-6.45pm.
We have entered an era where our digital immortality is almost as inevitable as our death.
Though digital immortality-related technologies have existed since the 1990s, with the growing amount of data and the advent of new technologies, the way we experience death, dying, and immortality is changing significantly.
With these changes have come ethical, cultural, philosophical, political, and even environmental challenges and risks. In her lecture, Dr Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basi艅ska traced the history of the digital afterlife industry to consider how we might develop this rapidly emerging industry in a culturally sensitive, responsible way.
The promise of the 'good death': reality or illusion?
30 October, Frankopan Hall, 5.30pm-6.45pm.
In contemporary discourse, end-of-life care is often framed within the ideal of a 'good death': one that is free from distress and discomfort, surrounded by loved ones, and in a preferred place鈥攗sually at home. However, this concept can sometimes obscure the complex realities of dying.
In this event, Prof Kristian Pollock and Dr Ben Bowers challenged the notion of the 'good death', examining how societal and professional assumptions about end-of-life care can sometimes conflict with the realities faced by individuals nearing the end of their lives.
Multifaith perspectives on spiritual care at end of life
7 November, Sibilla Room, 5.30pm-6.45pm.
Religious and spiritual beliefs often play a significant role in how many individuals approach their own death and dying. Understanding and respecting these beliefs is crucial for providing compassionate and effective end-of-life care.
This panel event brought together Margaret Doherty, Dr Emma Harris, and Dr Sejad Meki膰 to explore how the traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam guide individuals and their loved ones through the processes of death, dying, and grief. It also explores how faith finds a place in secular settings such as hospitals, hospices and care facilities and how care workers, medical teams and families can be better informed and equipped to support their patients and loved ones with spiritual care.
What lies beneath: Reflections on historical and contemporary burial beliefs and practices
18 November, Webb Library, 5.30pm-6.45pm. In-person only.
What are we doing when we bury the dead?
Across history and cultures, there are rich variations in beliefs about burial and in burial practices themselves. By attending to these, we can learn not only about the dead, but also insights that might otherwise remain hidden about the beliefs, values, cosmologies and politics of the society in which they lived.
Drawing on 18th and 21st century examples, and approaching these questions from social anthropological and literary-historical perspectives, Dr Laura Davies and Dr Sally Raudon examined what our relationships with the dead can reveal and why this matters.
Exploring public opinion on assisted dying
20 November, Frankopan Hall, 5.30pm-7.00pm.
Assisted dying is a much-debated topic around the globe. What do the people of England think?
Some form of assisted dying is legal in 27 jurisdictions around the world, but it is not yet permitted in England or in any other UK nations. Though the topic is debated in Parliament and has been the subject of media coverage and public campaigns, there remains a need for more in-depth information about how the UK public perceives this complex ethical, legal, and emotional issue.
To explore public views on assisted dying in England, the Nuffield Council for Bioethics assembled a Citizens鈥 Jury, broadly representative of the English population, to consider the complexities of the topic. In this event at the Intellectual Forum, Prof Clare Chambers and Molly Gray from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics discussed the initial report on the top recommendations from the Jury.
