How do the dead live among us today?
What kinds of relationships can be established between the living and the dead in today’s society?
How can we achieve immortality in the present-day digital society?
The 7th International Research Symposium of the Death Online Research Network Digital Death: Transforming History, Rituals and Afterlife addresses the cultural and social transformation of human death in modern society as it is characterised by digital saturation of the current collective social and cultural existence. Although death is a universal condition of all humankind, the ways in which death is addressed, managed, and performed in a given society and culture varies considerably. The conference places special emphasis on histories, cultures, religions, ideologies, and technologies that shape the construction of digital death in the present era.
The symposium will host a special workshop of participating postgraduate students and early career researchers the day before the symposium.
The conference will be on-site only at University of Helsinki, Finland.
Dr. Tamara Kneese is a Project Director of Data & Society Research Institute’s AIMLab in New York, USA.
Discussant: Dr. Tal Morse is Adjunct Lecturer at Hadassah Academic College and CDAS Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath, UK.
Associate Professor Patrick Stokes is a Professor of Philosophy at Deakin University, Australia.
Discussant: Professor Amanda Lagerkvist, Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Uppsala University, Sweden.
Please submit your abstract of max 250 words with your contact details to Linda Pentikäinen (linda.pentikainen@helsinki.fi)
Panels up to four papers should include a general description of the panel (max 250 words) together with abstracts of the individual papers (max 200 words) with contact details of each participant and the panel chair. Proposals should be submitted to Linda Pentikäinen (linda.pentikainen@helsinki.fi)
All submissions will be peer-reviewed.
Please note that participants will be accepted to present only one paper as the first author.
Abstract/panel submission deadline: April 26, 2024
Notification of paper acceptance: June 3, 2024
Registration: June 3 – September 2, 2024
Conference: October 3–5, 2024
Regular 200 €
Student 150 €
The conference is sponsored by DiDe research consortium (EU, CHANSE) and Federation of Finnish Learned Societies
Anu Harju: anu.a.harju@helsinki.fi
Linda Pentikänen: linda.pentikainen@helsinki.fi
Johanna Sumiala: johanna.sumiala@helsinki.fi
Digital media are now integral to death, grief and memory, from personal illness blogs and live-streamed funerals to online support groups and virtual memorials. Studying death online involves attention to cultural change, identity performances, social bonding, legal matters, design innovations, business opportunities and more.
The Death Online Research Network was founded in Copenhagen in 2013 to encourage international collaboration and conversation around the study of death and digital media. In order to establish a strong research network and influence the field of research, DORN has articulated the following goals: