Bauman (1992)

This essay will attempt to discus Bauman's notion of death as the 'other' of high modernity, through explaining the methods in which high modernity has employed to sequester death, through medicine and thus institutionalising the dying and those involved. It is also discussed how curtain minorities are linked to death and as a result-attempted genocide is justified to eradicate death. Lastly it is explained how those exposed to death are affected.

Up until the late 18th and early 19th century, death was a public affair. Literature such as 'The book of the dead' and the 'Artes Morendi' (How to Die well) gave society a common education that enabled one to know what was expected in the presence of death. Because death was an aspect of everyday life before the late 18th century the literature was used as a copping mechanism and 'tamed' Aries (1991) death. Death was explained in the literature not as an end, but as a transitional event and what could be done to be granted

This essay has attempted to discus Bauman's notion of death as the 'other' of high modernity, through explaining the methods in which high modernity has employed to sequester death. It has been proved that replacement of religion by the reasoning of medical science has left high modernity with a lack of social edict surrounding death, leaving humans with silence, initiating death as the 'other' by being untamed. Therefore high modernity has developed a means of focussing on reflexive projects to avoid death. Medicine now is seen as the last intervening force between this finality that religion no longer explains and thus has been elevated to such superiority, that it's original usage has been distorted in periods of resent history by searching of ways to kill those linked to death. The targets of these killings are communities that are not mainstream in high modern societies and thus labelled the 'other' being given the tittles of death bringers, or hindering the advances of society. Lastly it is discussed how those exposed to collective death are traumatised, feeling as though they have been stained by death and thus living a life devoid of life; being forced to remain in a state of trauma and therefore the 'other' of society.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2667
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)