In the land of the Living

I had to go to a funeral today - the mother of an old colleague of mine. I must say, I’d like to be invited to a few more weddings these days, so if any one has any spare invites - may be send one my way.

I’ve been to a fair few funerals in the past few years. Sociologically they are rather fascinating occasions and maybe some of the points here can get you thinking about rituals, norms, values, culture and identity and the social functions of funerals.

That’s a bit of a list, I admit, but hey, this blog exists to give students and teachers a bit of a prod into action, and sometimes a few guidelines. And sometimes a bit more.

I was struck though by the elaborate ritual of the funeral today. I was rather touched by the way the undertaker got out of the hearse, bowed before the coffin and walked slowly in front of the hearse; that was leaving the church - the same procedure took place at the crematorium.

So, as I mentioned - what are the social functions of the funeral? (hint - think about Durkheim and the functionalists)

And now, a couple of further resources for you to peruse. I found this curious looking site on a quick surf.

And here in the UK, there is a guy - I discovered him ages ago (sorry, makes me sound like a record producer or agent or something) when I found this great article he’d written in Sociological Review about mourning the dead in the Hilsborough disaster. He’s called Tony Walter, and he’s now, would you believe it, got the title of Professor of Death Studies (sorry to trivialise, but that sounds like something out of Harry Potter) at Bath University. I once interviewed Prof Walters and he is a really nice and helpful guy. You can find his web page here and on it you’ll find a free paper to download, all about the social meaning of death.

Now, how’s that for service?