Grief, mourning, and the body: Ritual attention to the death of victims of the dictatorship in Chile

Abstract

This study considers the way in which the recovery of the bodies of those who were detained and disappeared under the Pinochet dictatorship not only enables the social recognition of their deaths and the performance of death rituals hitherto obstructed, but also makes it possible to “attend to” their deaths in multiple dimensions. The research draws upon testimonies and records collected during fieldwork for an ongoing anthropological investigation. We observe the different practices that can be associated with the process of “dignification,” including the physical demonstrations of affection made possible by the recovery of the bodies. We also illustrate how, for family members, the practices involved in “caring for” and “attending to” death may defy or test the limits of standardized processes imposed by professionals and preconceived ideas or practices relating to death.