class 5 Flashcards
What are the four social functions of funerals?
- Serves to acknowledge and commemorate a person’s death
- Provides a setting for the disposition of the body
- Assists in reorienting the bereaved to their lives
- Shows the link between the bereaved and their social world
Define death announcement. How does the flow of announcing death usually unfold? why is an untimely announcement bad?
Definition: The first funeral task is “Death Announcement.” Notifying relatives, friends, and colleagues a death has occurred.
Usually, news of death gets conveyed from immediate family to the wider community.
Untimely announcements are usually upsetting. To not be informed of death in a timely manner is considered insensitive and demonstrates a lack of respect.
The digital beyond
an interesting website that I’ve provided a link to for you to peruse. It provides many services to people dealing with death, but you can see that there are programs that help family members with death notification. For example, there are email services to let people know a death has occurred. There are also other services, like messages that people can leave to both the family and the decease
What are some services or professionals people can contact for assistance in funeral arrangements, as mentioned in the notes?
People can contact a clergy member which is the leader of their spiritual community, funeral home, mortuary, or memorial society for assistance in funeral arrangements.
Understanding a difference between a funeral home and a mortuary
A mortuary is focused on the mortuary sciences of caring for and preparing the body for burial or cremation. The mortuary may or may not involve a funeral director (although in some jurisdictions, a funeral director is required to be involved). A mortuary typically offers on-site cremation
Funeral homes have larger areas where services can be held and public viewings also take place. Sometimes the funeral home has a mortuary attached, but not always. A mortuary, however, usually does not have these facilities and viewings are closed and are attended only by the family member
What is the significance of the “funeral director” in the context of funeral services, and what responsibilities do they typically have?
The funeral director plays a key role in funeral services. They coordinate and oversee all aspects of the funeral, from transportation of the deceased to the final disposition. Responsibilities may include embalming, coordinating with clergy or celebrants, handling legal documents, and assisting the bereaved with various arrangements.
When is embalming typically conducted, and when is it not needed?
Embalming is typically conducted if a viewing will be held. It is not needed when the burial happens quickly or if the deceased is cremated without a viewing.
What is the embalming process, and why is it conducted when a viewing is planned?
: Embalming is the preservation and disinfection of the deceased’s body. It involves replacing bodily fluids with embalming fluid, restoring a lifelike appearance, and delaying decomposition. When a viewing is planned, embalming helps maintain the body’s appearance, allowing loved ones to say their final goodbyes.
What are four conventional funeral costs?
- Services provided by funeral home
- Use of mortuary facilities and equipment, casket - Disposition of the body
- Purchase of a graveside of mausoleum, cost of cremation, internment, entombment or scattering, and urn - Costs related to memorialization
- Monument or marker for the grave, inscription for the marker in the columbarium, where the ashes are kept - Miscellaneous expenses
- Honorarium for clergy, death notices
What are the basic funeral costs in Toronto? General range? Cremation? Gasketed cast?
Depending on what is desired, anywhere from $1400 to over $12,000
Simple cremation: $1600
Cremation with funeral service: around $2800
Typical gasketed casket: starts around $1200
Basic funeral package (transfers, death certificate, staff costs, embalming, casket, service): starts around $4500-5000
What are some types of materials mentioned for caskets in the notes?
Caskets can be made from materials like cardboard, wood, copper, bronze, and the most common option in North America is the gasketed steel casket.
Can you explain the concept of “green burials” in more detail, and what environmental benefits do they offer compared to traditional burials?
Green burials are eco-friendly alternatives to traditional burials. In a green burial, the deceased is typically placed in a biodegradable coffin or shroud. The aim is to minimize the environmental impact by allowing the body to decompose naturally. This reduces the use of non-biodegradable materials, chemicals, and land usage, making it a more sustainable choice.
Name a few typical funeral home services.
Transferring body to funeral home
Embalming
Preparing the body if there is a viewing
Crematory services
Flowers
Providing staff and facilities for viewing and funeral ceremony
Use of hearse, service cars, or limousines
Provide caskets, burial vault, and memorial cards
In what cultures or religions was cremation prohibited at some point, as stated in the lecture notes?
Cremation was prohibited in Catholicism by the Vatican from 1886-1963, and it’s also prohibited by Islam and Judaism.
What are some examples of ways people memorialize the deceased online, as discussed in the lecture notes?
People memorialize the deceased online through platforms like Legacy.com, online obituaries, gravesite electronic memorials with video tributes, and memorial pages.
