Burial Cremation and European Identities: Cremation practices in Norway; regulations, changes, challenges and innovations

The Norway, Work package: The projects principle goal is to examine the experiences, views and activities of the ethnic majority Norwegians and of minorities not holding mainstream attitudes as to how human remains should be handled. More specifically t he project will explore the following four research questions in order to better understand: (1) How Hindu immigrants cremation practices and acts have evolved, and have been changed in diaspora in Norway. The project will address balancing the demands for cultural integration by the majority population on Hindus and other minority groups, with their need to retain cultural integrity. (2) How individualized cremation preferences and practices, which are not connected to any particular religious world view or organisation, respond to and are affected by religious plurality. (3) How the Norwegian church's incorporation of cremation has influenced mortuary practices. How Christian theology and liturgy (funeral rites) have evolved in cooperation with i ndividualised religious beliefs and various regulations associated with the handling of remains and rituals based on cremation. By various regulations we are referring to for instance, hygiene, economy, space utilisation and environmental issues. (4) How the interplay between and among all the various agents in this field has designed Norwegian cremation law from the mid-1800s to the present day. How has the Norwegian Government, the Norwegian Church, funeral homes, county governors, crematoria, cemetery staff and others provide input towards the formulation of laws, rules and regulations associated with cremation practice? Here we will explore how laws and regulations have shaped and influenced cultural adaptations for different religions and secular a nchored cremation practices.