Everyday Deaths
BSA Social Aspects of Death Dying and Bereavement Study Group Annual Symposium
10 December 2026
University of Bath, UK
About the Event
The British Sociological Association’s Death, Dying and Bereavement Study Group invites abstract submissions for our upcoming symposium on the theme of Everyday Deaths. This event will explore ordinary dying in the context of the everyday contexts such as, at work, home, community and care institutions. These deaths are often invisible, hidden, unknown and / or deprioritised, yet are those most often experienced or witnessed in society.
Call for Papers
We welcome submissions that critically engage with ‘ordinary’, ‘everyday’ deaths in the context of social experiences of death, dying and bereavement. This could intersect with identities and inequalities related to ageing, disability, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality or space/place - and how different social groups’ experiences or representations, are shaped by social, cultural, discursive, geographical, political, and economic contexts.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Everyday deaths in different settings (work, hospitals, hospices, homes, community)
- Emotional, physical, social and spiritual experiences of ordinary deaths
- Disenfranchised experiences of grief and loss
- Inequalities and ethics in invisibilised deaths
- Deaths of the homeless and people living on the streets
- Marginalised deaths during public health crises
- Cultural narratives and representations of everyday death and grief
- Policy, practice, and the (de)prioritisation of older and disabled people’s deaths
- Comparative analyses of everyday deaths in different geographical contexts
We look forward to bringing together researchers, practitioners, and others with an interest in the sociological dimensions of everyday dying. We encourage contributions from diverse methodological and theoretical perspectives, including sociological, critical, interdisciplinary, and creative approaches. We welcome and encourage abstracts from those working outside of academia, including practitioners and care workers, community members and artists.
Abstract Submission Guidelines
- Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words.
- Please include your name, affiliation, and email address.
- Please save the file with your name.
Please submit your abstracts before midnight on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 to the organisers. We will notify you of the outcome of your submission by Monday, 19 October 2026.