ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses two themes which emerged as central in the literature review: end-of-life care and end-of-life rituals. It examines ritual aspects: facing the end of life furthermore involves the practice of rituals in order to make sense of the transition from life to death. The book shows that the need to reconcile different cultural, religious and administrative norms relating to death is infused with ontological insecurities which may result in new or renewed interrogations of identities and belongings, frequently attended by the need to negotiate frames of reference. The current state of European research on migrant dying largely treats migrants as a group of patients posing specific challenges to professionals working in institutions of end-of-life care. The book concludes with a conceptual solution to the practical problems perceived by end-of-life care professionals vis-à-vis patients with migrant backgrounds.
