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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Commun.
Sec. Culture and Communication
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1456304
This article is part of the Research Topic Communication and Glocalization: Media, Culture, and Society in the 21st Century View all 3 articles

The Glocalization of Death in the Digital Age: Traits and Limits

Provisionally accepted
  • Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This perspective article explores the interplay between death and glocalization in digitally saturated societies. The central question driving our perspective is how societal responses to death reflect and inform the process of glocalization within the context of increasing digital connectivity. The paper argues that societal response to death provides a unique lens on how global digital trends intersect with deep-seated beliefs and traditions in glocalization dynamics. Thus, the main section of the article (Section 3) examines the traits and limitations of digital glocalization in mortality contexts, revealing its multifaceted nature: digital glocalization is relational, post-metaphysical, naturally occurring, and a boundary solution to the crisis. Constraints in glocal forging in the context of death include interpersonal challenges, social alienation, evolving localisms, religious considerations, and timing. Our perspective from brief ethnographic insights in contemporary Romania underscores the fusion of ancient customs, digital tools, and religious beliefs in shaping distinctive responses to death in digitally enriched environments. Ultimately, the research concludes that death serves as a catalyst for glocalization, harmonizing local traditions and digital advancements in navigating the complexities of life and loss in the digital age, portraying death as the great "glocalizer."

    Keywords: death, Digital, glocaliza*on, Glocal Studies, global studies, cultural studies

    Received: 28 Jun 2024; Accepted: 29 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Toplean. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Adela Toplean, Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.