Death and dying in the history of Africa since 1800

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Periodical article

Title:	Death and dying in the history of Africa since 1800
Authors:	Lee, Rebekah Vaughan, Megan
Year:	2008
Periodical:	The Journal of African History
Volume:	49
Issue:	3
Pages:	341-359
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Africa
Subjects:	death rites historiography
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/40206668
Abstract:	In this Introduction to the special issue of The Journal of African History on 'Death in African history' the authors explore issues raised by the existing literature and suggest ways forward for future research. Death has long been a central concern of social anthropological writing on African societies, and of the extensive literature on African belief systems. Until recently, however, little attention has been paid to the history of death practices in Africa in relation to demographic change, urbanization, the interventions of the colonial and postcolonial State and the availability of new technologies. The authors explore the ways in which these forces have contributed to re-inventions of practices and beliefs surrounding death which are both self-evidently 'modern' and yet also rooted in a much longer history. The papers in this issue were initially presented at an interdisciplinary conference held at the University of Cambridge, 5-6 May 2007. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]