Dr Chao Fang, from the Department of Socioloy, Social Policy and Criminology, is interviewed as part of Radio 4's Thinking Allowed programme on the subject of Death, and asked why a 'good death' is seen so differently in China.
Exploring good death in China
Originally broadcast on Radio 4 on Tuesday 17 June 2025, and then again on Sunday 22 June, the Thinking Allowed podcast can now be listened to on BBC Sounds or via the BBC website.
The episode is 28 minutes long and Dr Chao Fang's interview begins at the 16 minutes 27 seconds mark.
Programme summary from BBC Sounds:
A study into how ordinary British people used to depart this life and grieve for loved ones and a glimpse into why a 'good death' is seen so differently in China.
Laurie Taylor talks to Molly Conisbee, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, about her ‘people’s’ history of mortality, beyond queens and aristocrats. From the plague pits to grave-robberies and wakes, she explores how cycles of dying, death and disposal have shaped our society. What did it mean to die well in the past, what does it mean now? Also, Chao Fang, Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Liverpool, talks about his study of the meaning of a good death in China & how it differs from western notions which centre the dying person’s wishes rather than family harmony.
Related research publication
- 'Exploring Good Death in China - A Qualitative Study from the Perspectives of Family Members' by Mingming Cheng, Luo Qin, Chao Fang, Alastair Comery and John Troyer in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine (Volume 367, February 2025).
Find out more
Dr Chao Fang is a Lecturer in Sociology and Deputy Director for the Centre for Ageing and the Life Course (CALC).