ISBN
978-1529245004Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressISBN
978-1529245011Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
Life and Death in Latin American Cities
The infrastructure of death is an undeniable part of urban life, yet it is often overlooked in the study of cities.
This book explores the intricate dynamics between the living and the dead in six Latin American cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Lima, Buenos Aires, Quetzaltenango and Cuenca. Drawing on more than a decade of ethnographic research, the author investigates how urban death infrastructures — such as cemeteries and spaces for the deceased — are shaped by rapid urbanization, legacies of violence, neoliberal policies and alternative spiritual practices.
With a fresh Global South perspective, this unique contribution will challenge the boundaries of death studies, placing the infrastructure of death at the heart of urban life.
Christien Klaufus is Senior Lecturer of Geography and Urban Studies in the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation at the University of Amsterdam.
Introduction: Approaches to Deathcare in Latin America
1. Death and the City
2. Caring for the Dead
3. Self-Help Necropolis
4. Cemetery as Sanctuary
5. Necro-Gentrification
Conclusion: The Necropolis at Stake
