Funeral Home Industry

Painful as it may be, such experiences brings home the finality of death. Something deep within us demands a confrontation with death. A last look assures us that the person we loved is, indeed, gone forever.” (108) Cable finishes his essay by asking, Tim if his job ever depressed him. Tim in reply says, “No it doesn’t, and I do what I can for people and take satisfaction in enabling relatives to see their loved ones as they were in real life.” (108) After reading this essay I feel as though sometimes we don’t understand death so therefore we do not talk much about it. By reading about what goes on after your loved one dies and is sent to these places to be prepared and ready for burial, it helps to understand why morticians and funeral directors do what they do. Knowing that someone enjoys taking the responsibility in providing that comfort in a sorrowful time makes me appreciate these people in these occupations a bit

The article, “10 Burdens Funeral Directors Carry”, written by Caleb Wilde expresses the unique struggles of those working the funeral business. They face numerous challenges through trying to aid and support those mourning a loved one. This often over looked and underappreciated field offers a salient as well as specific service desperately needed by each community. By encountering: depression, psychosis, isolation, stress, workaholism and death itself funeral directors make numerous personal sacrifices to continue to provide honor and respect to the dead.

Dead?" AlterNet. In this article, Frankie Colmane looks into how dead bodies are treated in the United State even after Mitford's expose of the funeral industry was published. The article takes both a philosophical and scientific issue with the procedure of embalming sighting proven negative effects to human beings and the environment. Colmane shows that even though people are aware of the malfeasance and misappropriations of the funeral industry following pieces like Mitford's, very little has changed. Therefore problems that have been discussed in earlier works should not be forgotten. Rather they should be continually brought up until the issue is solved. During the 1800s, embalming became common practice because the dead family member would lie in state within the home for a period of days or weeks until it would be buried (Colmane 2010). The article shows the duplicity such as when "funeral directors were arguing forcefully against charges that their mediation between the living and the dead translated into social obstruction that barred the stricken from facing death with maturity, realism, and honest" (page 2). This article will be used to illustrate that things have not changed with funereal practices despite the publication of Mitford's essay.

As a student of funeral service, Reverence for the Dead is extremely important. I found this book interesting and it made me think a lot more about ethical practices. Todd Van Beck has been a wonderful teacher, but my time being his student has made me come to realize that he’s also a very good person. Todd Van Beck talks about very serious topics in this book from death, to funerals, to caring for the dead in a correct manner. Van Beck gives us his beliefs on the subjects along with beliefs of many well-known psychologists. The passage about Dr. Edgar N. Jackson (1910-1994) had a strong impression on me. I joined this career path because I believe in the importance of preparation, preservation, and beautification of the dead also. Dr.

need to help the family choose a casket from the display room the they wish

1. Watch “The Undertaking” where this video examines a family who works in the funeral industry as a window into American feelings on death and dying. Then, respond to the following questions: How do funeral rituals describe by the Lynch family show our cultural values about death and dying? How would a sociologist create a research question to systematically evaluate the claims that the Lynch family makes about death and dying? The funeral industry arguably exists to serve micro-level relationships, consoling individuals who have just lost others central to their social existence. How is the funeral industry connected to institutions at the community and

“Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain” is an essay written by Jessica Mitford. She creates a clear replica of the funeral industry in her essay. She explains about how the funeral directors do not consult the kin of the deceased before the process. The goal of Mitford is to share many of the practices of the funeral industry, and show how barbaric they are.The tone of the essay is to inform people about the process, from the deceased first arriving to the morgue until the end of the funeral service. She discussed about the embalming and the industry in her essay.

Literature review was not extensive for the purposes of this project, but future research may shape the results of this study. An important limitation to consider is that the financial aspect was not researched in depth. It was undetermined how much of the funeral cost would be covered by my life insurance policy, and prices I received from the funeral directors and former pastor were only general estimates. Some funeral expenses were likely not accounted for because of the brevity of the interviews. Another factor to consider is that the interview with my family members was conducted in a single group sitting. Individuals may not have felt comfortable expressing their opinions amongst the group, and group think may have played a role in the answers received. Wishes for my funeral services may also change with the course of time, and some aspects of the funeral may have been forgotten in the initial interview process. Private interviews should be conducted in the future, and the dialogue about death should be ongoing to account for these

Sandy Hingston offers many intriguing views of a funeral service from the conventional method of a service in a church and the burial of the deceased to a service that more so relates to a party than a funeral. “The Death of the Funeral Business” also raises many questions to be pondered by the reader. Hingston says, “A societal changeover from burial to cremation is momentous for our culture. It signals a cataclysmic shift in how we think about our bodies and ourselves” (38). The questions that arise from this quote are what parallels may Hingston be trying to draw between the trend in cremation and the way we “think about our bodies and ourselves?” Why may she be trying to develop these connections? These are the questions I will be focusing on and how they relate to what I think the purpose of the article is. I believe the purpose of this article is to show how our generation is changing the way we view death and how the use of technology has greatly impacted the way funerals are done.

With today’s modern culture, death is a private event of mourning and grieving. We no longer as a community gather to celebrate the life of a late neighbor, instead this event is intended for family and close friends. We either bury our loved ones in a local cemetery or have their remains cremated and kept in an urn for viewing. The rituals performed by individuals in the event of a death have become superficial with a lack of meaning. The size of a headstone is only determined by how much money you have. The extravagance of the wake or any type of ceremony performed is determined by how much money you have. And for those who can’t even afford a burial and opt for cremation, the elegance of the urn used to hold the ashes of your loved one is once again determined by how much money you have. Death has become an event of profit, for if you truly love your departed relative you’ll buy the most expensive casket or the biggest

The growth of the funeral industry was another factor in the American way of death. Rather than preparing and burying their own dead, families entrusted this job to professionals. The modern practice is several methods we use today being;

In 1965, Goffman defined stigmas as any attributes that sets people apart and discredits them or disqualifies them from full social acceptance. Funeral directors have so many stigmas put on them. The two stigmas are handling the dead and profiting from death and grief. There are many ways to manage stigmas. The two ways to manage the stigmas are symbolic redefinition and professionalism. In symbolic redefinition language is one of the most important symbols used by all humans. Morticians and funeral directors use this technique to help reduce the sigma’s that are associated with their job. By redefining themselves as a “grief therapists”, or as a “bereavement counselors”. The primary duties are making funeral arrangements, facilitate the services,

Task 1, in this paper I choose to research Dahl Funeral Home. I will be discussing the facility’s location, history and services provided. Dahl Funeral home was first recognized in 1865 by Henry Dahl, which was located on Main St. in Cedar Falls. Later in 1983, it was relocated to 703 Washington St. In 1968, Sylvester Van Hove and Merwin Schoof purchased the funeral home from Dahl Family and later moved it to 1825 W, 12th Street, Cedar Falls. This facility hosts three licensed funeral directors on staff, who can aid in answering questions. Dahl Funeral home contains a chapel, which seating capacity for 250 people. It also includes two comfortable visitation rooms, a large foyer, as well as a lounge.

Funerals are some of the most difficult activities for most individuals to experience, especially when they involve the death of a loved one. Over the years, there has grown a common and yet distinct American custom when it comes to how funerals are perceived and conducted (James 348). However, most Americans still hold unto the traditional funerals as opposed to modern ones. Unfortunately, the American funeral customs put a lot of more emphasis on some activities that turn out to be very costly. Worst of all, the economic burden that this traditions put on the bereaved families is even more detrimental.

In closing, the elements of a funeral have changed considerably since Shakespearean times. The development of funeral customs over time has taken place due to the changing longevity of life, religion, wealth and status, and scientific advancements. These aspects of life had a significant impact on the preparation of dead bodies, the meaning of a funeral, and the memorials for the dead during the Renaissance. It is intriguing to imagine what the funeral customs of today would be like with statistics like those of the