What problems do mourners face in modern, individualized societies? Are death and grief being pushed out of society, shifting the burden of mourning onto individuals, or are there viable alternatives for a new culture of grief? Do we still have useful rituals for mourning, or is grief always constrained by social norms? Based on these questions, Julia Schäfer examines the handling of death and grief in modern society. In her study, she analyzes whether mourning processes are increasingly complicated by social norms and processes of individualization: individuals may feel hindered by outdated social norms or completely abandoned when social cohesion and appropriate rituals are not available. A focus of her analysis is the contemporary approach to grief.