Care of the dead has been a unit I’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of the class. It has intrigued me mostly because it’s a topic I haven’t really considered before. Honestly, I have no pre-meditated thoughts regarding the matter, not even bubbles. Now that I’m faced with the objective of actually thinking about it, I find myself processing bubbles about the “industrialization” of the funeral business. I presume that it is a very profitable industry, being that people die all the time. It’s an industry that will always have customers, people are always going to die and people in developed countries will always need professionals to handle these deaths. There is, presumably, some deep atrocity involved and I’m thinking it will most likely be related to the exploitation of grief. The way I see it is that people die, then the people close to them are the ones organizing their wakes, funerals etc. and whilst organizing such events they can’t help but reminisce on their late loved ones, thus fogging their rationale and attentiveness to how exactly the care for their loved ones is carried out. This is certainly a plus for the companies providing such services, it is much easier to exploit those whose minds are fogged with memories and sadness rather than those who are aware and focused. I’m interested in studying this exploitation, and also studying the positive aspects of the system in place, yes I do believe there are some, ie making death more affordable and accessible. I am actually legitimately excited for this unit
Questions
How, exactly, do funeral homes, graveyards, undertakers etc. profit from the exploitation of the emotionally unstable?
In caring for the dead, what corners are cut in the funeral industry in order to maximize profit?
I’ve heard of coffins that are made to protect against the elements. Is this true? And, why do people care so much that the body is preserved, or protected if they will never see it again?
What was the purpose of mummification?
Like a lot of marriages - which are very representative of the unification of people who share love for one another- priests are often present at funerals of the dead, which is the detachment of someone from all of their loved ones. Why is this religious symbol so important in tying bonds and breaking them?
Why we should we care about the care of the dead? They don’t seem to mind.
You have a pretty good idea about how the industry preys on the grieving. And the questions you are asking are both well predicated and interesting. I think that you should also try and look into how the way we, as Americans, prepare our dead. There are massive cultural differences between western and eastern cultures, and I think you'd find it valuable to see how people approach death as a cultural icon. Nanda told me some interesting stories about how different people treat death in America vs how they treat death in Sri Lanka. all in all, I'm looking forward to your thought processes as the unit continues.
ReplyDeleteJay,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog very interesting as they tend to be. I feel like being that this is a topic that you actually know less about than the others, your interest allowed you to create deeper questions. I also liked your ideas on how the business is likely a good one since death is an inevitable part of life so there will always be business. “I presume that it is a very profitable industry, being that people die all the time.” Being that I also never though about the care of the dead very much, it never occurred to me how good of a business it must be. I agree with you on your views of the significance of caring for the dead as well, which was evident on the final line of your post. This was a very well written and fun to read post.