Sociology for Funeral Service

a rite adjusted to the needs of the family or the trends of the time

dealing with agriculture, farm based. The locale of the extended (joint) family system

a situation in which a person or entity is unknown

existential statements about the physical and social world

a family unit consisting of one male and one female, their children together, and any children they may have had from previous marriages

a governing system characterized by specialization, hierarchy, formal rules, impersonality, and a specialized administrative staff

any action performed during a rite which may or may not have symbolic meaning to the participants or observers of the action

a grouping of people with similar socio-economic status

two or more people, unrelated by either blood or marriage who are sharing living quarters together

living or happening in the same period

the reduction of a dead human remains to its essential inorganic elements by use of fire

the emotional attitude that recognizes other cultures as equivalent and pertinent

common traits or patterns found in all cultures of mankind. They are government, marriage, and funeral rites

• a set of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and rules for behavior that are held commonly within a society
• a system of abstract patterns of and for both living and dying which are learned directly or indirectly

a social behavior which is considered to be normal and is based on tradition

pertaining to demography; the science of vital statistics, or of births, deaths, marriages, etc. of population

the acquiring of the culture by a person through deliberate instruction by other members of that society

the belief that the created is reunited with the creator at death

a form of family government which holds that both male and female have equal voice in governing

the process by which a person learns the social values of a society

a group of people who are recognized as a distinct group on the basis of such characteristics as language, ancestry, or religion

the belief that one's own race, nation, group or culture is superior to all others

a household unit consisting of one mother, one father, all of their unmarried children, their sons, sons' wives and their children

behaviors which when violated carry only informal sanctions such as scolding or ridicule

a rite performed with the body present

a process involving all activities associated with final disposition

an all inclusive term used to encompass all funerals and/or memorial services

a funeral rite that is in essence devoid of religious connotation

any disposition of a dead human body, either by means of burial or cremation, with no form of funeral rite at the time of disposition

a process by which a person learns the norms of his culture by observation of others in his or her society. Includes attitudes, manner of dress and ways of thinking, praying, talking, etc

the change from individual crafting of products to the manufacturing of goods through mass production

the offspring or children of a specific set of parents

a must behavior of a people enforced by those elected to govern; a rule of action perscribed by an authority able to enforce its will

a family government where the mother or female possesses power and the right of decision making

a funeral rite held without the body present

an organization, public or private, which endorses the practice of conducting funeral rites without the body of the deceased present

the state or quality of being mobile; the ability to move from place to place readily, or to move from class to class, either up or down

of, or characteristic of the present or recent times; not ancient, often used to designate certain contemporary tendencies

a family unit created by two or more nuclear families or friendships

must behavior; rules of behavior which are considered vital to the welfare of the group and accompanied by relatively severe sanction

the movement of families away from where they were born

those funeral rites which deviate from the normal or prescribed circumstances of established customs

a family unit that is made up of a married man and woman and their children

behavioral patterns which are observable by others

a form of family government where the father, or male, possesses the power and right of decision making

arrangements between a funeral establishment and family which designates details of a funeral service, including the selection of merchandise, prior to the death of a person

• a culturally entrenched pattern of behavior made up of:
• (1) sacred beliefs,
• (2) emotional feelings accompanying the beliefs, and
• (3) overt conduct presumably implementing the beliefs and feelings

any event performed in a solemn and prescribed manner

ceremonies centering around transition in life from one status to another

a specific method or procedure used to comply with a folkway, mores and/or law

a family unit made up of one adult, either male or female, and their children

an event which allows those who have something in common with each other to deal with one another in regard to that which they share in common

the upward or downward movement of a person or family within the social classes of their society

the categorization of people according to their attainment or lack of attainment of finances or social status

a group of persons forming a single community with some interests in common

the study of social groups, their modes of organization, the processes which tend to maintain or change these forms, and the relationships between the groups

a division of a culture, connected to a larger culture by common traits, while having unique traits of its own

anything to which socially created meaning is given

a social prohibition of certain actions; a behavior which dictates that one must abstain from certain acts

the study of death, derived from the name Thanatos, Greek God of Death

those funeral rites that follow a prescribed ritual which may be dictated either by religious beliefs or social customs

the change from rural to urban areas

• psychology focuses on the individual; begins at time of death (or anticipation of death) and ends with acceptance of death
• sociology focuses on group; begins with arrangement conference and ends with the final disposition

...people tend to behave the way they are socially expected to behave

Greek philosophers

questions about the impact of group life on human thoughts, feelings and behaviors

something like a special poem being read or having an open casket at the graveside

something like a family requesting that a favorite toy be buried with their child

Aron

...at birth

a rite that can be identified with a pre-literate society

• 1. Funeral rite itself is a social function
• 2. Funeral rite is a cultural universal
• -announcement of death
• -care of the deceased
• -method of disposition
• -ceremony or ritual
• -memorialization
• 3. to understand how a society deals with death, one must first understand its social structure
• 4. funeral rites reflect both modern and contemporary tendencies

• 1. economic (capitalist, shift from manufacturing to service, reduced middle class)
• 2. social stratification and class (social mobility, identifying and communicating with each class)
• 3. geographic factors and neo-localism (difference in disposition and merchandise)
• 4. religion (judeo-christian, atonement, meaning)
• 5. government (democratic)
• 6. educational level (varies, impact on social mobility)
• 7. ethnicity
• 8. divorce
• 9. abuse (feelings of relief and guilt)
• 10. same-sex partnerships
• 11.cohabitants
• 12. single life (selling point for prearrangements)