The Civil War – the second-most-deadly event in US history, just behind COVID-19 –contributed to lasting changes in how Americans care for the dead.
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Articles on Funerals
Displaying 1 - 20 of 36 articles
In trying to present violent events in ‘neutral’ language, media reports may be ignoring power imbalances when it comes to Israeli police or military violence against Palestinian civilians.
Ukrainian families’ anguish at not being able to bury their loved ones underscores a deep human need, an anthropologist writes.
Green burial is not a new concept, but it is gaining interest among consumers, and some religious groups are leading the way. A theologian explains what’s involved and who natural burials appeal to.
For those who can’t afford to pay funeral costs, state support is patchy at best and unlawful at worst.
The negative impact of the pandemic on grief has raised concerns. Our study shows that 15 per cent of people dealing with grief are at risk of what’s known as complicated grief.
In a Japanese tree burial, cremated remains are placed in the ground and a tree is planted over the ashes to mark the gravesite. Environmental responsibility is part of Buddhism.
As cremation grounds struggle to keep up with the long line of people dying from COVID-19, age-old customs are being pushed aside.
Religious scholars and faith leaders reflect on the death rites cultures have developed to honor the deceased, comfort the living and share the burden of mourning.
Unlike those who died during the Vietnam War, those who perish during the current pandemic are unlikely to receive a national memorial. Perhaps they should.
The objects we gather around us - from op shops, from roadsides, from the intimate spaces of lost loved ones - are far from inanimate. They carry wisdom, comfort and guidance.
Virtual music vigils after the Nova Scotia shootings draw on a long tradition of Atlantic Canadian disaster songs and ‘broadside ballads’ to mourn in a time of social distancing.
From burial sites targeted by grave robbers to disposing of ashes at sea, the job of disposing of the unclaimed dead has a rich history. Sadly, it still goes on today and is on the rise.
My research as a professor of death studies shows how facing up to our own mortality can offer the opportunity to rediscover some positive truths about life.
Funerals, as we know them, will regrettably but necessarily be another of our social rituals that must radically alter in the short-term.
Funeral homes, crematoria and morgues face many challenges in the months ahead as the coronavirus death toll rises.
For people of faith, for whom communal prayer and service are central to their beliefs, the need to stay away from each other is particularly challenging.
As the Nigerian tradition of dressing in matching outfits for special events continues to grow in popularity, it brings with it a threat of social exclusion.
Iranian leaders seem eager to use the powerful emotions surrounding his death to coalesce power around the regime. History shows that mass mourning is a powerful way to bring people together.
The processing time for the government’s Funeral Expenses Payment is decreasing, but the costs related to a funeral are still high.
Top contributors
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Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney
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Professor, University of Wollongong
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Professor Emeritus of Death Studies, University of Bath
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Professor of Property Law and Death Studies, Queen's University Belfast
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Professor of Law, Wake Forest University
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Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Bath
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Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies, Texas State University
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Lecturer, Media and Communications program, The University of Melbourne
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Associate professor in Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne
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Lecturer, Creative Writing, Victoria University
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Professor of Wildlife Conservation, University of Salford
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Professor of Anthropology, The University of Melbourne
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Research Fellow, Coventry University
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Head of Research Impact, University of St Andrews
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Lecturer in Ethnomusicology, University of Aberdeen
