Abstract

Death is a human concern and yet, the topic of death is one which is rarely discussed in an open and frank way between adults and children. A genealogical approach is used with the concept of habitus as a set of dispositions and a way of being. The changes in socialisation practices are mapped and psychosocial reasons are offered for the denial of death in UK schools. Using a psychodynamic theoretical framework, the thesis explains how stressful experiences are demonstrated through practices in the field of education, and how schools as containers, use collective defence mechanisms to guard against their primitive survival anxieties. Equal importance is given to the practical logic of everyday action as well as the objective structures within which the action takes place. Semi structured texts are used to access current practises in school alongside autoethnography and an anti-narcissistic form of reflexivity which considers the teaching practice of the researcher as a potential source of information. For the inclusion of the topic of death in a curriculum there has to be a transformation to current practices in some schools. This involves addressing the anxieties which defend against discussions of the topic of death and adopting school practices to enable a commensal relation in a containing environment. Key Words. Socialisation, Habitus, Education, Social Defence Systems, Containment.