New book explores the evolution of urban cultural and religious practices on death
Death, a taboo topic for most people, is the subject of an upcoming book that explores the evolution of cultural and religious practices in Singapore.
University of Liverpool’s Dr Terence Heng, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, co-edits a new book which documents and examines how death rituals have evolved with urbanisation. The collection, titled ‘Death and the Afterlife: Multidisciplinary Perspectives from a Global City’, delves into the multifaceted dimensions of how individuals and groups navigate the journey beyond life.
Through compelling case studies of Singaporean Chinese religious communities, the authors shed light on the intricate webs of tradition, identity, and heritage woven into the fabric of death practices.
It showcases research and discussions by scholars and practitioners from multiple disciplines including sociology, history, community arts, literary studies, and photography.
Speaking of the collection, Dr Terence Heng, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology, shared:
"Death studies is a growing area of research, especially in the arts and social sciences. There is a need for a greater diversity in both disciplinary and geographical focus. This is the first book that brings social research and artistic practice together to examine how modern society engages with death and life after death."
Dr Terence Heng holds expertise in the research areas of sacredness and sacred space in the Chinese religion; visual methods; and Chinese diasporic ethnicities. He ambulates through the intersections of cultural geography, visual sociology, and photographic practice, investigating diasporic Chinese identities, and sacred space-making amongst Chinese Singaporeans.
He co-edited the collection with Dr Lye Kit Ying, Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Dr Lye Kit Ying, Senior Lecturer at Core Learning, College of Interdisciplinary and Experiential Learning, said:
“I was particularly intrigued by how death is at once present yet seldom mentioned in Singapore. This is especially so when we consider how reluctant the Chinese community is to engage with the topic of death. This reluctance inevitably leads to a loss of knowledge about the community’s religious and cultural practices in handling the dead”.
Death and the Afterlife: Multidisciplinary Perspectives from a Global City, published by Routledge Advances in Sociology, is available to purchase from 6 May 2024.
There will be an official launch of the book in Singapore on the 5 June 2024, sponsored by the National Library of Singapore.
Tickets are available via the website.
The publication of this work was made possible with thanks to the National Heritage Board (NHB) Minor Project grant, received in April 2022. The book is one of the over 550 projects supported by the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Heritage Grants Scheme since its launch in 2013.
The scheme has awarded over SGD$15 million so far to community-led projects including publications, exhibitions, and podcasts that promote local heritage.
An accompanying op-ed by Dr Terence Heng on death practices is available at: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-death-ageing-population-conversations-living-funeral-michelle-mike-ng-4318211