Brandsma, Tamar
(2025)
Keeping the Dead Alive Through Ritual Creativity An Investigation of the Identity Perception of the Deceased by the Bereaved in the Context of Visiting Urn Graves in a Nature Cemetery in the Netherlands.
Master thesis, Master Geestelijke Verzorging.
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of ritual in preserving the identity of the deceased by the bereaved, with a
specific focus on the urn burial process at the Schoorsveld Nature Cemetery in the Netherlands. Central
to this study is “Visiting the Grave,” a key practice in maintaining the deceased’s identity that involves
various rituals.
Based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 6 participants who buried
someone in a nature cemetery, the research analyzes the urn burial process—containing components
like cremation, ash collection, burial, and grave visits—through Victor Turner’s framework of separation,
liminality, and incorporation, highlighting how each stage involves ritual creativity and transformation.
Focussed is on grave visits, which occur during the stage of incorporation and include several categories
such as feeling, reflecting and connecting with the deceased through nature; these are all related to
rituals performed around the grave.
The study builds upon Unruh’s concept of identity strategies, redefined here as “identity tactics,”
to describe the specific ways in which the deceased’s identity is preserved by the bereaved. The research
identifies both existing and new identity tactics, including “Continued Bonding Activities,” “Sanctifying
Meaningful Symbols,” “Incorporating Shared Practices and Memories,” “Creating New Symbols and
Rituals,” and “Shaping or Sustaining After-Life Beliefs.” These tactics illustrate how identity preservation
occurs through external actions and through internal processes.
To deepen the understanding of these tactics, the thesis applies dialogical self-theory and
narrative identity theory. These theories show how the bereaved maintain an internal dialogue with the
deceased, in which the deceased continues to occupy a position within the self. The deceased’s identity
is thus integrated into the bereaved’s personal life story and inner world, reinforcing their continued
relevance in daily life.
Finally, this study offers practical insights for Natuurbegraven Nederland, the organization
managing Schoorsveld, by illustrating how their burial setting supports personalized forms of identity
preservation. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of ritual creativity and identity in
contemporary funerary practices.
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Mathijssen, B.M.H.P. | | Faculteit GGW, Faculteit Religie, Cultuur en Maatschappij | Brenda.Mathijssen@rug.nl | | Mucciarelli, E. | | Faculteit GGW, Faculteit Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | e.mucciarelli@rug.nl |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Geestelijke Verzorging |
| Academic year: |
2024-2025 |
| Date of delivery: |
03 Feb 2026 10:50 |
| Last modified: |
03 Feb 2026 10:50 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/884 |
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