Together in Dying and Death: Challenging Capitalist Culture Through Embodiment and Interconnectivity in the Here and Beyond
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Authors
Grennan, Leanna
Issue Date
2024-05-01
Type
thesis_campus
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Keywords
dance/movement therapy , dying , death , capitalism , connection , embodied , Dance
Dance Movement Therapy
Alternative Title
Dance/Movement Therapy Theses
Abstract
Under capitalism, an individual’s value is determined by their ability to contribute to society, therefore there is a perceived failure in dying (Tyner, 2016). The “profit over people” priority that capitalism has contrived has led to the colonization of the psyche throughout our lives (LaMothe, 2015). In the United States, the interconnectedness of a death-avoidant and capitalist culture becomes apparent, and alludes to a greater conversation in how death avoidance has evolved into both subtle and blatant discriminatory practices. Systemic discrimination, underfunded social services, increasing financial inequality, and the pervasive influence of consumer culture are major aspects of American culture that both influence and mirror our avoidance of death. Through education and training, experience, and embodied practice, dance/movement therapists can discern how capitalist systems and culture leads to disconnect of the self and in relationships. As a body-based psychotherapeutic modality, dance/movement therapy may hold space for the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual challenges that can arise in dying, and to find new ways of being. Keywords: dance/movement therapy, dying, death, capitalism, connection, embodied
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