‘The most difficult time of my life' or ‘COVID's gift to me'? Differential Experiences of COVID-19 Funerary Restrictions in Aotearoa New Zealand
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Long, Nicholas J
Tunufa'i, Laumua
Aikman, Pounamu Jade
Appleton, Nayantara Sheoran
Davies, Sharyn Graham
Deckert, Antje
Fehoko, Edmond
Holroyd, Eleanor
Jivraj, Naseem
Laws, Megan
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Routledge
Abstract
In 2020, the government of Aotearoa New Zealand imposed some of the most stringent funerary restrictions in the world as part of its efforts to eliminate COVID-19. This article explores how people experienced this situation, asking why restrictions that some described as precipitating ‘the most difficult time of their lives’ were described by others as a ‘relief’, ‘blessing’, or ‘gift’. Much existing literature frames funerary restrictions as a distressing assault upon established ways of grieving to which mourners must try to adapt – and in Aotearoa, both the stringency of the restrictions and the means by which they had been imposed did lead to many people finding them challenging. However, for those with ambivalent pre-existing feelings regarding their funerary traditions – such as many in the Samoan diaspora – COVID-19 restrictions afforded both a reprieve from burdensome practices and a much-welcomed opportunity to reimagine their traditions. Funerary restrictions, though disruptive, are thereby shown to have generative potential.Description
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Health and Social Care, Social Sciences
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In: Covid-19 and Death Studies: Multidisciplinary Perspectives and Lessons. Edited By Erica Borgstrom, Bethan Michael-Fox, Arnar Arnason. 1st Edition, 2026. Routledge. eBook ISBN9781003714361. DOI: 10.4324/9781003714361
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Open Access: This content is open access under the Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND