The choices people make involving funeral rituals and body disposition reflect their attitudes and beliefs about death.
The psychosocial aspects of funeral rites include announcement of death (including obituaries and death notices) as well as mutual support as an impetus for coping with loss.
The American funeral has evolved from handmade coffins and wakes held in the parlor of the family home to ornate caskets and ceremonies managed by funeral directors. Critics maintain that modern funerals are prone to unnecessarily high costs.
New options for care and disposition of the dead, personalized funerals, and the advent of Internet memorials commemorating a person's life have increased choices in last rites.
Bereaved people may find solace through remembrance rituals and services and the holding on to possessions and linking objects.
Well-informed consumers of funeral services are knowledgeable about costs and are able to compare prices and evaluate the variety of services offered in the marketplace.
Funeral and memorial societies are organized to serve their members or customers by negotiating reduced prices for basic services.
The laws regulating the disposition of human remains generally specify where and how burials and disposal of cremated remains can be accomplished.
Meaningful choices regarding last rites reflect personal as well as community values.
