Deck 10: Diversity in Death Rituals

Question 1

Rite of passage is a theoretical concept developed by which social scientist?

A)Durkheim
B)Van Gennep
C)Malinowski
D)Radcliffe-Brown

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which is not included among the functions of rituals?

A)Validation and reinforcement of values
B)Reassurance and feelings of security
C)Reinforcement of group ties
D)Contributing to psychological tensions

Answer 2

D

Question 3

To remove a corpse from its place of burial is known as

A)interment.
B)levirate.
C)exhuming.
D)pyre removal.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is not an example of a rite of passage?

A)Marriage ceremony
B)Graduation ceremony
C)Sports awards ceremony
D)Funeral

Question 5

The intended consequence of a funeral is to pay respects to the deceased and support the survivors. This is known as the ________________.

A)manifest function
B)latent function
C)structural-functional explanation
D)function of the funeral

Question 6

That which is left after cremation is called__________.

A)leftovers
B)ashes
C)cremains
D)cryonics

Question 7

The time period allotted for mourning is

A)prescribed by law.
B)dependent on the status of the deceased and the relationship to the survivors.
C)prescribed by culture.
D)prescribed by law and dependent on the status of the deceased and the relationship to the survivors.

Question 8

Which of these statements regarding historical practices outside the United States is true ?

A)Anthropologists have discovered a few civilizations where the people do not recognize death with a funeral.
B)The Bible records the fact that physicians embalmed the body of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob.
C)The Egyptian embalming process was a secret method of preservation.
D)The historian Herodotus records embalming preparation as early as 484 AD.

Question 9

A framework upon which the corpse or casket is placed for viewing/or carrying is a __________.

A)pyre
B)bier
C)cadaver
D)pall holder

Question 10

A ______________________ is the symbolic affirmation of values by means of culturally standardized utterances and actions.

A)burial
B)memorial
C)ritual
D)mass

Question 11

Which of the following is the most popular means of disposition in the United States?

A)Entombment
B)Cremation
C)Earth burial
D)Burial at sea

Question 12

Why should a student of death and dying become familiar with the death customs of other cultures?

A)To cause students to be critical of American customs
B)To promote ethnocentrism
C)To note that similarities are often greater than the differences and thus gain a greater appreciation of other cultures
D)to promote ethnocentrism and to note that similarities are often greater than the differences and thus gain a greater appreciation of other cultures

Question 13

Which is an example from a funeral of a latent function?

A)Serves as a family reunion
B)Pays respects to the deceased
C)Lets the survivors of the deceased know that you care
D)Brings family and community together.

Question 14

________ is where "jazz funerals/music" sometimes take place-dancing in defiance of death.

A)New York City
B)Chicago
C)New Orleans
D)San Francisco

Question 15

A combustible pile for burning a corpse at a funeral rite is a __________.

A)bier
B)cremation platform
C)pyre
D)levirate

Question 16

Youth who lose friends through violent means find that funeral rites involved in musical processions, dancing to good music, and expressing their grieving and emotions through t-shirt art were reasons to celebrate and remember the deceased. In which city is this practice common?

A)Madagascar
B)New Orleans
C)Ireland
D)Mexico

Question 17

Which of these statements regarding the practice of embalming the dead body is false ?

A)The first embalming took place more than 1,000 years before Christ.
B)The Egyptian process of embalming required 70 days to perform.
C)Embalming was a common practice in colonial America.
D)Embalming was not a common practice in colonial America.

Question 18

Which of these statements regarding the practice of embalming the dead body is false ?

A)Modern methods of embalming were developed in the 19th century in the United States.
B)Not all funeral directors are permitted to embalm a body.
C)Eighty percent of all bodies are embalmed before final disposition in the United States.
D)Dr. Hunter of England furthered the process in the early 1600s of embalming along with Dr. Gannal of France, independently of each other.

Question 19

Types of weeping noted by anthropologist Radcliffe-Brown include

A)reciprocal ritual weeping.
B)ceremonial weeping.
C)weeping without tears.
D)reciprocal ritual weeping and ceremonial weeping.

Question 20

Which of these statements regarding cremation practices in the United States is false ?

A)Christians currently forbid the practice of cremation.
B)Cremation is the most common form of final disposition.
C)Cremation is accomplished by the use of either extreme heat or direct flame.
D)Cremated remains have the appearance of ashes.

Question 21

Cite reasons why it is important to learn about bereavement patterns in other cultures.

Question 22

Discuss the different ways in which societies dispose of a body after death.

Question 23

Describe mourning rituals commonly found in the United States.

Question 24

In Islam tradition, a widow goes into seclusion for ___________ before she is allowed to remarry.

A)10 days
B)4 months
C)4 months and 10 days
D)4 days.

Question 25

Which religious tradition has some food ritual after the funeral as a rite of reincorporation for the religious community?

A)Jewish
B)Islamic
C)Hindu
D)Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu

Question 26

Why are a variety of mourning rituals commonly found in the United States? Explain why mourning rituals may differ by region of the country or ethnicity. Discuss these differences.

Question 27

A sexual double standard tends to exist in burial practices in countries around the world. Cite examples of this situation both for the United States and in other countries.

Question 28

Which of the following religious traditions symbolically begins its mourning ritual by the rending (tearing) of garments?

A)Jewish
B)Christian
C)Islamic
D)Hindu

Question 29

What are the similarities and differences in Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist beliefs about funeral practices?

Question 30

A professional generally prepares the corpse for final disposition in the United States, but this is not universally true. Discuss the importance of the family being involved in preparing the body for final disposition.

Question 31

Cremation is the preferred form of body disposition for__________.

A)Jews
B)Hindus
C)Buddhists
D)Hindus and Buddhists

Question 32

Considering cemeteries in America, why are there differences in graves (such as size of the headstone and length of epitaphs) between males and females? How does social class or status make a difference in the treatment of the dead within American cemeteries?

Question 33

Which religious tradition attempts to bury their dead within 24 hours of the death?

A)Jewish
B)Islamic
C)Hindu
D)Jewish and Islamic

Question 34

It is suggested that an explanation for crying when someone dies may be rather complex. Discuss the reasons for crying over a death. Discuss reasons for crying over a death as presented by anthropologist Radcliffe-Brown.

Question 35

What are some of the functions of burial rites?