A Positive Statement about Funeral Pratices

Despite all the criticism of funerary practices, funerals are here to stay. The form, structure, and function of the American funeral may be modified in the future, but the rite of passage is necessary after the death of a loved one. As Rando states, "The passing of that person must be recognized, his survivors must be supported as they start a new life without him, and they must be reintegrated into the community, which iteself must reaffirm its continuity after the loss of a member". The future of the funeral in our American culture is rooted in its ability to provide diverse settings in which both private sorrow and public loss can be expressed and shared. It is not only a vehicle by which society can state a death has occurred but also one that proclaims that a life has been lived. However, funerals require direction, and in the future, as at no other time in the history of the American way of death, funeral directors will give meaning to the rite of passage. The funeral director will not only design the "business" of funerals (i.e., market-driven product and program development, value versus price, and creative expansion of marketshare) but will orchestrate the funeral to "catalyze acute grief responses, prescribe structured behaviors in a time of flux, and encourage recognition of the loss and development of new relationships with both the deceased and the community". In the future, the funeral director will have to wear many different hats to provide a "full-service" program of funeral practices to the people being served.