Revolution in the Afterlife

Abstract

The idea of an afterlife is formative of modern social scientific enquiry into the normative fabrics of human sociality. The idea also indicates how societies come to terms with their destructive past. Focusing on the legacies of the Vietnam War, this essay explores how the historical experience of generalized loss and displacement can radically change the traditional conception of an afterlife.

Keywords

• afterlife
• displacement
• ghosts
• hospitality
• reciprocity