Current project: The political economy of the funeral market
Markets are not static structures. Like other social constructions, they are subject to complex processes of change. Modifications in the institutional and cultural framework of markets can be regarded as the outcome of ongoing negotiations between actors from different parts of society. This project looks into the causes, preconditions, and trajectories of market formation by analyzing the transformation of the funeral market in Germany. While it is deeply influenced by institutional and cultural regulations, Germany’s funeral market has recently become highly dynamic and international. To account for processes of marketization and detraditionalization, the project pays special attention to the interdependency between moral values and economic action as well as to institutional, economic, and cultural aspects of change. The data used by this study has been collected from official statistics, expert interviews, and documents. Project duration: October 2007 to September 2013.
Media coverage about this project
"Das Geschäft mit dem Tod", SWR2, 22.11.2012 | Joachim Meißner.
"Begräbnis als Event – respektlos?", PM-Magazin, 14.08.2012 | Wolfgang C. Goede.
"Beerdigen mal anders - Neue Trends für Bestattungen", Bayern 2, 19.03.2012 | Anna Küch.
"Traditional Burials Are Dying Out", MaxPlanckResearch, 04/2011 | Birgit Fenzel.
"Am Tisch mit Dominic Akyel, „Bestattungs-Soziologe“", hr2 kultur, 24.11.2011 | Ingeborg Breuer.
"Das Geschäft mit dem Tod", Handelsblatt, 23.11.2011 | afn/dpa.
"Wirtschaftszweig Gottesacker", ZDF, 20.11.2011 | Christian Busse.
"Wenn die Beerdigung zum Event wird", Zeit Online, 04.10.2011 | Anne-Sophie Lang.
"Viel Pietät, wenig Konkurrenz", Deutschlandfunk, 07.04.2011 | Mirko Smiljanic.
"Wertvolle Waren", Deutschlandfunk, 25.11.2010 | Ingeborg Breuer.
"Zwischen Pietät und Pleite", press release of the Max Planck Society, 17.11.2010 | Birgit Fenzel.
"McGrab", Süddeutsche Zeitung, 02.11.2010 | p. 50, Felix Berth.
Picture gallery
These pictures illustrate different aspects of my field work, such as funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries, trade fairs, and business events. Clicking on the respective image will enlarge it.
