Narratives and experiences about the meaning of life and death: ethnographies of pain and family interactions

This work is part of a research project in which we investigated on "extreme experiences" related to exceptional situations of illness and early death. These experiences are felt as tragic events that serve as breakdowns in the meaning of family life, causing abrupt breaks in daily routines and installing a deep gap in family life experiences. Ethnographic perspective and the analysis of narratives make visible the different ways in which families redefine the meaning of life and signify the death of those who pass away or who suffer a terminal illness. At the same time they reveal the process of attributing a different meaning to one's own existence - which involves a pedagogical and moral dimension - and the mechanisms used by the family group to re-trace their lives' path, creating new relational networks with their "peers" in pain.