The Values and Purposes of Funeral Rituals

Benefits of Funeral Rituals:

- increases reality of death -Provides a safe place to grieve -Creates a community of support -Opportunity to do memory work -Facilitates expression of emotions -Provides a sense of control -Reaffirms family and social roles -Reaffirms religious and ethnic identity -Serves as a rite of passage -Reflects respect for the deceased and mankind

Form and Structure includes: all three work together to help control the change /chaos.

- time limited - planned sequence - familiarity provides comfort

How would losing someone like a grandma, who is probably the matriarch of the family, affect any future holiday celebrations?`

-You could lose other family members that only came because of her. - you lose a leadership role in the family, someone will have to take her place, the next generation - it could delay or cancel any future holiday gatherings.

Important elements of Rituals:

1. Form and structure during change/chaos 2. Symbolic meaning

Types of Rituals in life:

1. day to day essentials 2. Family traditions 3. Holiday celebrations 4. Life-cycle focused

Sharing dinner every night with family in your household, no electronics, just talking and sharing about your day is an example of what type of ritual?

Family traditions

Second definition of Ritual for comparison:

Fundamental life activities that involve symbolic acts carried out by individuals.

Gathering with all of your extended family for special occasions, sharing a meal like thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter is an example of what type of ritual?

Holiday Celebrations

Birthdays, graduations, weddings, retirement celebrations, funerals are what type of ritual?

Life Cycle Focused

______ _______, is the important take away about rituals. It is how we put what we are thinking and feeling into action.

Symbolic acts

Symbol

an object or act that represents a belief or idea

Structure or a place can bring _______ to people when they know when and where and how things will happen.

comfort

Morning routines like brushing teeth, having coffee, exercising, and so on are examples of what type of ritual?

day to day essentials

People often need to "____ ________" after someone dies; to put their feelings into action.

do something

Spontaneous memorials happen because people need to put their _________ into action, rather than be still.

feelings

Life Cycle Focused rituals are the most _______, because they happen all throughout life. They are rites of passage.

important

For example, in a Military procession people may not be directly involved, but will still gather along the route and pay their respects/ pay tribute as they go by. This is why public rituals are ________.

important.

Public/social rituals _______ others.

includes

Family traditions are becoming ____ important than they used to be.

less

Provides a sense of control means that a funeral rite can create a ________ response to the death because a death erupts chaos in people lives.

meaningful

Upsetting these daily rituals/routine can _____ up the rest of your day.

mess

Ritual as a need may also be a universal need for other animals species, not just humans. ______ or ______ if occurring in nature.

natural, innate

People who bring food is not just to feed the grieving person/family, it is also a way for people to express their feelings. A _____________ show of support and care.

non-verbal

Increases the reality of death means that the death has _____.

occurred.

Funeral Rituals help us to create ______ among chaos.

order

An order in which things are going to happen; can be very exact and formal or it can be informal, but there is a clear timeline of events, this is?

planned sequence

Important elements of rituals are that they can be _______/_________/_________.

public, communal, social

Reaffirms family and social roles means there could be a __________ of the family hierarchy. Not only that but grieving the role the deceased person held in the family.

readjustment

Opportunity to do memory work means people are _________, _______ _______ about the deceased.

reminiscing, telling stories

Spontaneous memorials at car accident sites is an example of a ____ ______. Without coordinating with others in the community, they come together and memorialize the site of the crash. Everyone, people who knew and people who did not know the deceased.

ritual need

Providing a safe place to grieve give people the feeling of being ______ with others who are sharing the same grief.

safe

Facilitates expression of emotions means people are ______ how much the deceased meant with others. They may not have had any strong physical emotions until now.

showing

A funeral is a _______ function.

social

Ritual Definition:

specific behavior or activity which gives symbolic expression to thoughts an feelings.

Everything has a beginning and an end. A Funeral has a clear, definite start and end signal, this is?

time limited

A funeral ritual serves as a rite of passage; this is a ________ in life for the deceased and the family left behind.

transition

Rituals may be a ______ need, but the expression of that need is extremely diverse.

universal