Wikan

When a loved one died in Egypt Wikan observed mostly poor families in Cairo, relatives screamed, wailed, and lamented for several weeks, venting their suffering and pain in front of visitors who both consoled and encouraged the outpouring.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

At the First International Conference on Globalization and integration I hosted in Scandinavia with the support of the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, the most unsettling paper was by Norway's leading anthropologist of immigration, Unni Wikan.

Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco and Carola Suarez-Orozco: We Are all Norwegians Now Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco 2011

In 1988, a Norwegian anthropologist named Unni Wikan published a years-long study of bereavement in Egypt and Bali—both predominantly Muslim countries—and found stark contrasts between the two.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

According to Wikan, these Egyptians believe that unhappiness must find its way out of the body or else it weighs on the soul and causes mental illness, a perspective that has similarities to the American school of thought.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

By contrast, in Bali, suffering “must be surmounted to allow a person to survive,” Wikan wrote.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

When a loved one died in Egypt Wikan observed mostly poor families in Cairo, relatives screamed, wailed, and lamented for several weeks, venting their suffering and pain in front of visitors who both consoled and encouraged the outpouring.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

By contrast, in Bali, suffering “must be surmounted to allow a person to survive,” Wikan wrote.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

According to Wikan, these Egyptians believe that unhappiness must find its way out of the body or else it weighs on the soul and causes mental illness, a perspective that has similarities to the American school of thought.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

In 1988, a Norwegian anthropologist named Unni Wikan published a years-long study of bereavement in Egypt and Bali—both predominantly Muslim countries—and found stark contrasts between the two.

The Truth About Grief Ruth Davis Konigsberg 2011

Jon Wikan: percussionist, this week features interviews and performances from recent music school graduates. archives have lots about New Orleans music and culture.

NPR Topics: News 2010