Exam 2 (Pt. 3) Flashcards
Rituals are similar in every society and are as follows…
1) religious or other types of ceremonies are enacted
2) Visual contact with deceased is encouraged
3) A procession or family parade occurs allowing public display of grief and accompaniment of deceased to a final resting place
4) gathering of relatives and friends follows the death to provide emotional support for the bereaved (known as social support)
5) Financial expenditures such as flowers or fund contributions that allow bereaved to communicate their sorrow with a measurable means of support
6) body is prepared by sanitary method for permanent placement in the grave
Ceremonies and funeral rituals are important for meeting the _______ & ________ needs of mourners
Social & emotional
The vigil, or “wake” was derived from ancient Hebrew practice that serve the functions of
- A precaution against premature burial
- an act of piety
- an occasion of prayers for the dead
- opportunity for those present at death to clear them selves of suspicion of foul play
- chance for all interested parties to witness weather in equitable distribution of property had been made
According to Ferrel, the new American Funeral Practices changed 4 basic elements:
- treatment of body
- burial container
- funeral environment
- funeral procedures
_______ became preferred standard for preserving the body and improving appearance
embalming
The change in burial container
Coffins no longer built to conform to the deceased body but designed the standard rectangular shape but to focus away from the individuality of the death
Contemporary American funeral consists of five elements
1) visitation of the deceased
2) The rite of passage
3) a funeral procession
4) disposal of the body
5) The commitment to death
Visitation of the deceased
Community’s opportunity to express sympathy and support for the bereaved
The rite of passage
Ritual to address the needs of the mourners; a religious orientation for about 75% of them
Funeral procession
A parade to the cemetery symbolizing the living transporting the deceased to the land of the dead then returning to the land of the living to reestablish themselves without the loved one
Disposal of the body
Symbol of the survivors emotional separation from the deceased
The commitment to death
Committing the loved ones body to its final resting place
The primary purpose of the funeral
Is embedded in the right of passage for both the deceased and the bereaved; also held as an affirmation of the dead person’s life
Psychological benefits of funerals
1) impose reality of death upon the bereaved
2) validate & legitimize grievers feelings of loss
3) offer survivors environment conductive to the expression of grief
4) rekindle memories of deceased
5) initiate thoughts about life without the deceased
6) allow opportunity for input from the community
7) contain many of the elements that constitute psychological therapy
Social benefits of funerals
1) allow community-wide support for mourners
2) provide social interaction through meaningful structured activities
3) assist the bereaved in initiating the process of social reintegration
4) assist the community and grieving the loss of one of its members
5) validate continuity of life
6) reminder that everyone will die someday and participation in funerary rituals repeatedly confirms one’s future mortality
7) serves as a channel through which the community communicates it’s belief system regarding life and death
Grave goods
Artifacts associated with the loved one and included in the casket or grave
Psychological benefits of grave goods
- a way of either connecting or disconnecting with the deceased
- indicates intensity of feeling about particular object and the relationship it represents the deceased
- A source of comfort or satisfaction to the mourner
Elliotts survey regarding grave goods is important for both funeral directors and clergy to understand…
- The inclusion of grave goods as a last act of love
- helps bring closure to relationship for other grievers
- might help them feel close to their loved one in a manner that promotes healthy morning
- provide a useful way to say goodbye
common traditional characteristics for American funerals today
- typically held in the presence of the body
- involve a visitation period &/or a wake
- takes place over a proximately three day period
- A procession to a committal service at the chapel or gravesite followed by final procession away from the location where disposition of the body has taken place
Cremation
Burning of a body
Other methods of handling remains
1) Inurnment
2) The urn can be maintained privately, buried, or placed any type of mausoleum called a columbarium
3) ashes maybe strewn or scattered at a location meaningful or appropriate to the deceased or the survivors
Inurnment
Ashes are placed in a container made of metal or stone
Pros of cremation
- assists and recognizing finality of death
- Quick clean and inexpensive
- contains important element of “naturalness”
Cons of cremation
- can allow quick avenue to “escape” grief and try to ignore the real need to mourn
- might provide angry mourner a way to “act out” at the deceased
- might be chosen in direct opposition to wishes of deceased
