First published 2016
Barbara Graham examines how objects carry memories of the dead in communities across Ireland's border. She uses ethnographic methods to study remembrance practices in both public spaces and private homes. Graham investigates the ways living people interact with deceased community members through material objects. Her research reveals how the dead continue to play physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual roles in contemporary life. The author broadens the definition of materiality beyond physical objects to encompass narratives, songs, sensory experiences, emotions, temporary items, and bodily practices. Graham traces connections between current memorial practices and historical beliefs rooted in folk religion. Her work demonstrates how traditional ways of honoring the dead persist and adapt in modern Irish communities on both sides of the political divide.
Genres: death, anthropology, material-culture, academic, cultural-studies
Vibes: academic, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: folk-religion, material-culture
Setting: Ireland
Period: Contemporary
174 pages · Library Binding · Berghahn Books