Week 3: Chapter 3 - Purposes and Value of the Funeral

Question 1

Todd Van Beck (2000), wrote, “The funeral does at least four specific things that are available to everyone.” They are:

Answer 1

-Provides acting-out ceremonies that give expression to feelings too deep to be put into words.
-Provides the framework for group support
-Encourages the expression of feelings
-Provides values to live by

Question 2

The ABFSE (1998) lists the purpose and values of the funeral ritual. They are:

Answer 2

1. Provides an opportunity to receive and express love
2. Shows respect to the deceased’s family and friends
3. Provides opportunity to express grief
4. Provides a face-to-face confrontation with death which confirms its reality
5. Allows emotional support through sharing - “Joy expressed is joy increased; grief shared is grief diminished.”
6. Meets the needs theologically, psychologically, and socially, of those who mourn
7. Provides an opportunity for farewell through ritual
8. Provides a dramatic representation of the fact that a life has been lived by reflecting upon memories of the deceased
9. Helps establish emotional stability through a social support network
10. Establishes a socially acceptable climate for mourning

Question 3

In a 1997 Klicker study, what percentage of books that discussed funerals stated they were helpful to the bereaved in adjusting to their loss?

Answer 3

88%