Staking a claim to land, faith and family: burial location preferences of Middle Eastern Christian migrants

Hunter, A. (2016) Staking a claim to land, faith and family: burial location preferences of Middle Eastern Christian migrants. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 37(2), pp. 179-194. (doi: 10.1080/07256868.2016.1141759)

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Abstract

The question of where to conduct funeral rituals may confront migrants and their descendants with a stark existential choice which reveals much about how identities are negotiated in and through place. This paper scrutinises the relationship between identity and place through the prism of preferred burial location. More concretely, it sets out a typology of motivations for preferred burial location in contexts of migration. In addition to advancing analytical clarity with this typology, the paper also aims to promote theoretical clarity by questioning the hypothesis that burial in the country of residence constitutes a straightforward indicator of migrant integration. Based on 67 qualitative interviews with Christians of Middle Eastern origin in Britain, Denmark and Sweden, the paper presents various rationales for preferred burial location, showing the sometimes ambivalent relationship which migrants negotiate between place and identity.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Hunter, Dr Alistair
Authors: Hunter, A.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability
Journal Name:Journal of Intercultural Studies
Publisher:Taylor and Francis
ISSN:0725-6868
ISSN (Online):1469-9540
Published Online:08 April 2016
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2016 Taylor and Francis
First Published:First published in Journal of Intercultural Studies 37(2):179-194
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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