Being Here and Being There

Comparative Religion
At the Bedside of a Dying Person
By Terhi Utriainen
English

Customs related to death and the dying refer to cultural notions of the self and the other, as well as to gender differences. Care for the dying is most often provided by women, even in the relatively secular and egalitarian contemporary Finnish society. It is most often women who comfort the dying in their last hours and close their eyes. How do these women react to such proximity to the other’s dying body? Is their role changing presently and in which way?

Keywords

  • dying person
  • women
  • Finland
Go to the article on Cairn-int.info