The Body in Grief: Death Investigations, Objections to Autopsy, and the Religious and Cultural ‘Other’

Sudden, violent and otherwise unexplained deaths are investigated in most western jurisdictions through a Coronial or medico-legal process. A crucial element of such an investigation is the legislative requirement to remove the body for autopsy and other medical interventions, processes which can di...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteurs: Carpenter, Belinda J. 1963- (Auteur) ; Quadrelli, Carol (Auteur) ; Tait, Gordon 1960- (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: MDPI [2014]
Dans: Religions
Année: 2014, Volume: 5, Numéro: 1, Pages: 165-178
Sujets non-standardisés:B Grief
B Indigenous
B Autopsy
B Religion
B Death
B Sacred
B Australia
B Body
B Culture
B coroner
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Résumé:Sudden, violent and otherwise unexplained deaths are investigated in most western jurisdictions through a Coronial or medico-legal process. A crucial element of such an investigation is the legislative requirement to remove the body for autopsy and other medical interventions, processes which can disrupt traditional religious and cultural grieving practices. While recent legislative changes in an increasing number of jurisdictions allow families to raise objections based on religious and cultural grounds, such concerns can be over-ruled, often exacerbating the trauma and grief of families. Based on funded research which interviews a range of Coronial staff in one Australian jurisdiction, this paper explores the disjuncture between medico-legal discourses, which position the body as corpse, and the rise of more ‘therapeutic’ discourses which recognise the family’s wishes to reposition the body as beloved and lamented.
ISSN:2077-1444
Contient:Enthalten in: Religions
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.3390/rel5010165