Begravningsplatser och begravningar i ett mångkulturellt samhälle En etnografisk fallstudie av Varabygdens begravningsplatser

Abstract

The thesis explores what is meant by multiculturalism in today's Sweden based on burial grounds and funerals in a minor municipality. This is done through an ethnographic case study of the municipality of Vara. The study aims to investigate how multiculturalism looks and is responded to. The study maps which aspects are placed on multiculturalism in a minor municipality and which adaptations and compromises are highlighted. This is done within the framework of theories concerning multiculturalism and social identity, and the result of the empirical case study is presented by applying the theories to the material. From burial places and funerals, social collective and individual identities are analysed based on the social categories of religion/faith/secularity and place belonging, based on the perspectives of rituals and traditions as well as the location of the grave. The study finds that there are several aspects of multiculture in the burial grounds, as multiculture not only includes cultural influences from immigrants but also the different preferences of the local villages, in combination with the development of society, and Sweden in general. Analysis also show that religion, beliefs, and place belonging are of great importance, regardless of the cultural background of the deceased or relatives. The importance of a place is emphasized based on various collective and social preferences, both by those who offer funeral services and those who use them. The different social identities according to which the analysis is carried out create a picture and write out different perceptions of multiculture and multiculturalism.