03/03/2023
Funerals affectus all, both the living and the deceased. For the dearly departed, his or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory.For the dearly departed, his or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory.
The survivors are also affected, be they parents, spouses or siblings or friends. Offcourse, the status of the immediate family is seriously changed. No wonder anthropologists call a funeral a rite of passage.
Another way of looking at a funeral is that it is an organized ceremony with a beginning, middle and end. It engages the living participants in activities which will change their status within the community provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.
No matter where it's held, a funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.
What is central about a funeral, is the acknowledgement of change. People have trouble dealing with profound change such as the death of a relative, friend or workmate. Once you understand this, it is easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.
