Sustaining culture through death
Introduction
Human beings have had varying opinions about the concept of death and the events that transpire after a person dies. The different beliefs have led to the emergence of varying opinions and practices that are carried out when someone succumbs to death. Although a people’s culture greatly influences how people approach death and funerals in different communities, the practices that exist today are greatly influenced by the customs and traditions that have been passed on from one generation to the next. An analysis of the history of American funeral directing can therefore be used to demonstrate how practices that originated in the past have been passed from one generation to the next and in so doing, emphasize on the importance of preserving such customs in order to help maintain a people’s culture.
The major reason for choosing the topic on funeral directing has to do with the respect that people pay to the dead and the impact that the process has on the bereaved. Most, if not all of the practices that are carried out during the burial process are intended as a final farewell to the deceased (Smith, 2010). After passing on, the deceased goes through the funeral directing process where the body is cleaned, dressed and prepared for burial. Although the practices in use today differ from those used in the past especially in terms of delivery and intended purpose, their use throughout history has helped people to retain the custom where the deceased is prepared and kept in ideal conditions before burial (Smith, 2010). Customs and traditions handed down to generations as part of their culture greatly influence how their society function, ideologies and attitudes towards one another and society in general. An analysis of the history of funeral directing therefore provides insight into the origin of customs and traditions that are still in use today as well as those that are influenced by practices that became outdated.
Although most of the process engaged in throughout the process focus on the deceased, the customs and traditions surrounding the process are relevant in that they help the bereaved to accept the loss and start the process to recovery. Discussing the history of such processes will therefore create more understanding of processes that may not necessarily make sense but are still in use today. Understanding the origin of different customs and traditions can also garner more support and commitment during funerals and help during ceremonies that seek to collect additional funds, vehicles and other elements that are needed before the deceased is laid to rest.
The history of funeral directing goes as back as the middle ages where funerals were held in churches and a requiem mass was held. The requiem consisted of prayers that were led and sung by a priest and the ritual was considered a way to say farewell to the deceased and also comfort those left behind (Habenstein & Lamers, 2018). Although a lot of changes have occurred since the middle ages, the practice has been passed on across generations and different religious groups have adopted similar practices. Most of the practices that are carried out in today’s funerals incorporate the use of a priest or religious leader who bears the responsibility of leading the burial process among other responsibilities (Crabtree, 2010). Its use in the funeral directing processes practiced today is a true testament of the importance of culture and can therefore be used to highlight on the importance of the customs and traditions that people engage in society.
The history of funeral directing further helps one to understand how changes occurred and why it was important to abandon some of the practices that were common in the past for new and more effective ones. A good example is the changes that have occurred relating to burial sites, venues for ceremonies and also how the ceremonies were conducted. In the past, burials were located in close proximity to the church because there were limited options to transport the deceased from the church to the burial site (Jordan et al, 2018). Other than transport, funeral directors and researchers were yet to discover a way of preserving the body to slow down the decaying process. Since the ceremonies were held in churches, members of the congregation were exposed to diseases especially due to the limited storage space available in the churches.
The developments that exist today are therefore a byproduct of the processes that originated in the past and have been innovated to overcome the challenges experienced and also enhance the entire process. Concerning diseases and congestion, people resulted to substituting churches with morgues where special equipment such as freezers and chemicals are used to preserve the body (Beard & Burger, 2019). Holding the dead in a different setting reduces the outbreak of diseases that originated from contact with the dead bodies housed in the church. The introduction of new techniques to preserve the bodies also made it possible for burial ceremonies to take place far from where the body is kept. Human beings could now cover larger geographical areas and even transport the diseased across country.
Some of the practices that were carried out in the past further influenced some of the respect and acts of common decency afforded to the deceased. Take the case of cleaning the body as an example. In the past, the practice was carried out by members of the Catholic Church to cleanse the deceased soul and ensure that the deceased is allowed to enter heaven (Jordan et al, 2018). Members of the guild selected to engage in funeral directing were also required to pay a penny whenever a member of the guild passed on. The customs and traditions have been passed on and are carried out even in funeral directing today. In today’s society, cleaning is done as a way to make the body presentable for family viewing and also as a means pf preserving the body (Jordan et al, 2018). While contributions are not restricted to members of a guild, most ceremonies include contributions and donations given to the family of the deceased. Recalling such events is therefore important as it reinstates the importance of such customs and traditions thereby enhancing their influence in society.
Conclusion
Death is one of the few things in society that are constant. Despite the existence of various concepts regarding what happens after dying, the debate focuses on what happens after dying as majority, if not all human beings have come to accept the finality of death. The history of funeral directing tracks the events and changes that have happened concerning how people go about laying the deceased to rest. The information can be used to highlight the importance of the practices that have been passed on across generations while still acting as a tool for sustaining a people’s culture. Sustaining such practices should therefore be made a priority as it will help people to hold on to their culture and also find more innovative and humane ways to lay loved ones to rest.
References
Beard, V. R., & Burger, W. C. (2020). Selling in a Dying Business: An Analysis of Trends During a Period of Major Market Transition in the Funeral Industry. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 80(4), 544–567. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222817745430
Crabtree, L (2010). "The changing discourse of death: a study of the evolution of the contemporary funeral industry." Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 286. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/286
Habenstein, R. W., & Lamers, W. M. (2018). The history of American funeral directing. Brookfield, WI : National Funeral Directors Association
Jordan, P., Ward, J., & McMurray, R. (2019). Dealing with the Dead: Life as a Third-Generation Independent Funeral Director. Work, Employment and Society, 33(4), 700– 708. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017018799621
Smith, S. E. (2010). To serve the living: Funeral directors and the African American way of death. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press
