An Evening With Ruth McManus and Jennine Bailey

Join Associate Professor Ruth McManus and anthropologist and funeral director Jennine Bailey for a discussion on Death and Dying in New Zealand. This wide ranging discussion will delve into the following topics:

• The ‘taboo’ around death and how we see it. Do people not really talk about it or is that an assumption?
• What it’s like to be in the funeral profession/ what it’s like to teach on death and dying at a university.
• What it’s like negotiating the line between professional/ personal, sensitivity/ directness.
• Humour (Its normality, appropriateness etc).
• Sustainability practices around funerals and interment.

Ruth McManus is an Associate Professor at UC in Sociology, Anthropology and Human Services. Her reaserch into Death studies consists of groundbreaking, externally funded research on poverty and funerals in New Zealand, and the publication of various innovative articles and a path-breaking monograph in this area. Her most recent research on bio-cremation synthesises her interest in sustainability issues with new technologically advanced forms of body dissolution. She is also interested in social issues that involve people's engagement with their built environment and local resources. Both these research strands complement a longstanding engagement with policy debates and initiatives especially when they impact upon people's quality of life.

Jennine Bailey is a funeral director with a locally-owned Christchurch funeral company. She helps families to navigate the often confusing and complex choices involved when celebrating and mourning the death of a loved one.