Handling The Stigma Of The Dead Analysis

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Kiera Kveragas Professor Lawson Analysis Paper 31 January 2014 Handling the Stigma of the Dead I. Research Question In the past, human’s life expectancy happened to be much shorter than what it is now. In William E. Thompson’s article he explains how death used to be a family oriented thing. The person would pass away in their home and the women of the family would be the ones to prepare the body to be ready for display. Friends and family would then be able to come pay their last respects. Once the viewing was over the men would take the body to the burial site that they would personally dig. In today’s society we have people to do these jobs for us. As Thompson talks about in his…show more content…
And what makes it worth it? The mortician’s in the article make the choice to go into the job field knowing all of the negative comments that get made about them. An example from the book is when an interview is being done with a funeral director and he states that, “People think we’re cold, unfriendly, and unfeeling (Life in Society 79).” Even though they know these comments are going to be made about them they still go to work every day and get their job done. It is as if these people who work as funeral directors/morticians realize death is something that happens and it is uncontrollable. Although most people cannot grasp the fact that it happens these workers are fine with it and that is what makes it worth it. The community decides to shun individuals who do this type of work, yet in the end they are going to need these people at some point, and that is why I think they feel their job is worth…show more content…
Individuals who work as morticians or funeral directors handle the stigma of their occupation by symbolically negating as much of it as possible and avoid using words that associate with death. One interview in Thompson’s article says that sympathy cards sent out to the family avoid words such as: “dead” and “death”. Instead they would use the terms “loss” or “time of sorrow”. There are many different things that can fall under symbolic interactionism in this article. Another example is how they no longer say that embalming happens in the embalming room but instead they call it the “preparation room.” One other term that used to be said in the past was coffins. A coffin was the thing that the deceased was laid in, but we now call these “caskets.” Many of these terms have changed to make the family feel more comfortable when talking about their loved ones who have passed away. Although they may still use some of these terms behind closed doors they make it a rule to make sure they use the newer terms in front of the family and friends. A few people that were interviewed believe that because of the words used in the past, is the reason this type of work it frowned upon in today’s

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