In Sweden, hospice care is quite well-known, and approximately 11% of individuals receive palliative care in hospices and hospitals.

- I first encountered palliative care many years ago when a family member passed away. This led me to become aware of how death is organized in our society. It is often said that death is hidden away, and to some extent, that is true. But death is also more formally organized in our contemporary society compared to how it was in the past. I find this aspect interesting and a reflection of our times, says Oscar.

Oscar Wandery defended his thesis "The Ecstasy of Tragedy - An Ethnography of Hospice" on September 28.

Care at a hospice places emphasis on the whole person, relieving severe symptoms, and providing a dignified time at the end of life. In addition to healthcare professionals, there are volunteers who work to enhance the well-being of the residents. Oscar volunteered at a hospice for three years. The method used was ethnographic. He observed the work and daily lives of the staff to understand and describe their reality. In addition to participant observation, he also conducted interviews. In this way, he explored what the employees do, what they say they do, and what they believe they should do. The fieldwork began as an open pursuit to better understand these organizations, how they operate, and what it's like to work at a hospice.

- Somewhere along the way, I formulated the purpose to specifically focus on the organizational culture at hospice – why do some organizations seem to have and reproduce distinct organizational cultures while others do not. The goal was to generate theories that help us understand how culture is created and sustained within companies, Oscar explains.

Oscar Wandery with the supervisors Professor Christian Maravelias and Associate Professor Carl Cederström.

The Concept of Ecstasy

Why do values and assumptions tend to persist over time and space in some organizations but not in others? And related to that, what makes certain realities a richer breeding ground for community than others? One theory that Oscar discusses in his thesis is that cultures are built on experiences of ecstasy – feeling beyond and outside of oneself; as if influenced by a greater power – which is, among other things, experienced through tragedy.

The theory is that through ecstatic experiences, we build strong bonds with other people and a sense of belonging. We then nurture this feeling into values, rituals, and shared myths and stories that aim to perpetuate and communicate this experience of ecstasy to future generations of the group. If successful, this can lead to the reproduction of culture.

Oscar Wandery defended his thesis "The Ecstasy of Tragedy - An Ethnography of Hospice" at the Management Section, Stockholm Business School on September 28.

You can read the thesis "The Ecstasy of Tragedy - An Ethnography of Hospice" for more details.

From left to right: Associate Professor Carl Cederström, Professor Birgitta Schwartz, Professor Alexander Styhre, Professor Christian Maravelias, Oscar Wandery, Professor Dan Kärreman, and Professor David Knights