Introduction to Funeral Introduction to Funeral ServiceService

ThanatologyThanatology

““the study of death and death-related the study of death and death-related phenomena” (Corr, Nabe, & Corr 1996)phenomena” (Corr, Nabe, & Corr 1996)

Thanatos: Greek God of DeathThanatos: Greek God of Death

Ology: the study/science ofOlogy: the study/science of

SociologySociology

““the science of social groups; the the science of social groups; the processes that tend to maintain or change processes that tend to maintain or change these forms of organizations and the these forms of organizations and the relations between groups and individuals”relations between groups and individuals”

Mores and FolkwaysMores and Folkways Mores: “must-behavior; the basic and Mores: “must-behavior; the basic and

important patterns of ideas and acts of a important patterns of ideas and acts of a people as related to treatment of the dead, people as related to treatment of the dead, which calls for a strong reaction from the which calls for a strong reaction from the society if violated”society if violated”

Folkways: “behaviors which are construed Folkways: “behaviors which are construed as somewhat less compulsive than mores as somewhat less compulsive than mores of the same society, and do not call for a of the same society, and do not call for a strong reaction from the society if violatedstrong reaction from the society if violated

CustomsCustoms

““social behavior as dictated by the tradition social behavior as dictated by the tradition of the people”of the people”

Common Beliefs in American Common Beliefs in American SocietySociety

““life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” equality before the lawequality before the law freedom of selectionfreedom of selection common school educationcommon school education decent burialdecent burial

Why should funeral service students study Why should funeral service students study Thanatology and Sociology?Thanatology and Sociology?

The American National The American National CharacterCharacter

Family StructureFamily Structure ReligionReligion GovernmentGovernment EconomicsEconomics AgeAge Educational LevelEducational Level MobilityMobility

Basic American Customs in Basic American Customs in Funeral Service TodayFuneral Service Today

Funeral HomeFuneral Home EmbalmingEmbalming ViewingViewing Funeral DirectorFuneral Director CreditCredit DispositionDisposition Rites and CeremoniesRites and Ceremonies

Cultural UniversalCultural Universal

““like abstract patterns of and for living and like abstract patterns of and for living and dying, which are identifiable in all cultures”dying, which are identifiable in all cultures”

announcement of the deathannouncement of the death care of the deceasedcare of the deceased method of dispositionmethod of disposition ceremony or ritualceremony or ritual memorialization memorialization