La muerte en las Ciencias Sociales: una aproximación

Abstract

El articulo presenta las ideas centrales de los trabajos y debates que en torno a la muerte marcaron la historia, la antropología y la sociología en el último siglo. Distingue especialmente tres momentos claves en la producción de conocimientos sobre la muerte: inicios del siglo XX; las décadas de 1960 y 1970 y a partir de los años noventa. El articulo recorre cada uno de estos momentos, presenta las principales preocupaciones , el contexto que configura y propicia la emergencia de estos estudios, asi como los hallazgos más novedosos y útiles para pensar el tema en la actualidad. En el balance final se plantean algunas preguntas y se reformulan preocupaciones "clásicas" a la luz de algunos datos de los países latinoamericanos.

This article presents the central ideas of the work and debates around death that marked history, anthropology and sociology during the last century. It especially distinguishes three key moments in the production of knowledge about death: the early twentieth century, the 60s and 70s and the period beginning during the 90s. The article covers each of its moments, presents the concerns, the context that shapes and promotes the emergence of studies and the most novel and useful findings used to ponder about this issue. It focuses mainly on the treatment of rituals, the body, the social meaning of death and the process of dying. The route taken is essentially through the bibliography of the central countries and, at the same time, is sensitive to the contributions that could be provided by a more off-center look stemming from the south. In the final balance some questions are raised and ‘classic’ concerns are reformulated in the light of information that has originated in Latin American countries.