Life and Death in Latin American Cities - (Death and Culture) by Christien Klaufus (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book explores the complex relationships between the living and the dead in six Latin American cities. Focusing on urban death infrastructures, public health and neoliberal policies, it offers a critical perspective on death in the city.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

'An essential and innovative non-Western study, this book offers a compelling examination of urban deathscapes in Latin America, highlighting the relationship between deathcare, culture and urban governance.' Hajar Ghorbani, University of Alberta

About the Author

Christien Klaufus is Senior Lecturer of Geography and Urban Studies in the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation at the University of Amsterdam.