Funeral Service Psychology - MSFS 108

Sociology

The science of social groups; the processes that tend to maintain/change these forms of organizations and the relations between groups and individuals

Funeral

Rite w/ the body present

Memorial service

Funeral rites w/ the body not present

Funeral rite

Any funeral event performed in a prescribed manner

Social function

Event that allows individuals to gather as a community for sharing a common purpose

Culture

The rules, ideas, and beliefs shared by members of society of and for living and dying, which are learned directly and indirectly

Customs

Social behavior as dictated by tradition of the people

Norms

Group-held belief about how members should behave in a given context

Mores

Must-behaviors; the basic and important patterns of ideas and acts of a people as related to treatment of the dead, which calls for strong reaction from society fi violated

Taboos

Social prohibition of certain acts

Folkways

Behaviors which are construed as somewhat less compulsive than mores of the same society and don’t call for strong reaction from society if violated

Laws

Rules of action prescribed by an authority able to enforce its will

Rules

Specified methods of procedure

Enculturation (socialization)

The method by which the social values are internalized (learned)

Direct learning

The acquiring of culture by person through deliberate instruction by other members of society

Indirect learning

Process by which person learns norms of their culture by observation of others in their society

Subculture

Division/smaller identifiable unit of culture having unique traits to itself; can be geographic, religious, ethnic, language, age, etc.

Cultural universal

Common traits/patterns found in all cultures (respect for the dead and basic disposition)

Ethnocentrism

Emotional attitude that one’s own race/nation/group/culture is superior to all others

Cultural relativism

Emotional attitude that all cultures are equal and pertinent

Religion

A culturally entrenched pattern of behavior made up of (1) sacred beliefs, (2) emotional feelings accompany those beliefs, and (3) overt conduct presumably implementing belief and feelings

Ceremony

Instrumental action dealing w/ death, that is also expressional and that may/may not be charged w/ symbolic content expressing, among other things, the attitudes of the participants and possible onlookers who may be regarded as co-beneficiaries

Ritual

Any single action/series of actions performed during a rite which contains symbolic meaning to the participants and observers of the rite

Symbol

Object that represents belief/idea

Cenotaph

Memorial where person isn’t there/at a different location

Purpose of sociology in FS

The funeral rite as a social function and cultural universal (announcement of death, care of the deceased, method of disposition, ceremony/ritual, memorialization)

Patriarchal family structure

The father rules the family; power is passed to oldest male child

Matriarchal family structure

The mother/oldest adult female possesses power and the right of decision making

Egalitarian family structure

Male and female have equal rights, duties, and governing power

Extended (joint) family

A household/family unit of father, mother, all their children (except married daughters), their son’s wives and children (Appalachia, Native Americans, Amish, early immigrants, etc.); impact of death has no great threat and all family members contribute/fulfill duties of deceased

Nuclear family