Deck 6: The Grim Reaper Today: Emerging Trends in Contemporary Death Care

Question 1

The complex system society uses to deal with death is called a __________.

A) thanatology framework
B) death system
C) cosmology
D) cultural ideology

Answer 1

death system

Question 2

Death systems have __________ components.

A) three
B) five
C) six
D) nine

Answer 2

five

Question 3

Anniversaries, memorial holidays, and religious commemorations are examples of what component of death systems?

A) times
B) symbols
C) people
D) objects

Answer 3

times

Question 4

Two _________ of death systems are to provide care for the dying and dispose of the dead.

A) emics
B) components
C) theories
D) functions

Question 5

What important regulation pertaining to the death industry was passed in 1994?

A) Funeral Rule
B) National Funeral Directors Law
C) Amended Funeral Rule
D) Cremation Laws

Question 6

The popular show Six Feet Under made __________ a "prime time" part of our culture?

A) death
B) marriage
C) child abuse
D) patriotism

Question 7

After his brother's death, Jerry found comfort in attending a weekly bereavement group at his church. What function of the death system best describes the role of a bereavement group?

A) dispose of the dead
B) warn and predict
C) prevent death
D) social consolidation

Question 8

What is the main function of hospice?

A) to help finance funeral and/or cremation costs
B) to care for the dying
C) to comfort families of the dying
D) to counsel grieving doctors

Question 9

Early journalistic investigations of the funeral home industry revealed __________.

A) how the Funeral Rule was debated in Congress
B) practices used by some funeral directors to increase profits
C) how people plan their own memorial services before death
D) the preservation of family-owned funeral businesses

Question 10

Under the Funeral Rule funeral homes are entitled to __________.

A) unionization
B) price disclosures
C) embalming licenses
D) basic services fees

Question 11

When corporate funeral groups buy out small, privately owned funeral homes they generally __________.

A) keep the business' name
B) do so at a financial loss
C) pay high legal fees
D) rebuild the home

Question 12

__________ is a practice commonly used by funeral home conglomerates.

A) Selective embalming
B) Grassroots advertising
C) Clustering
D) Price gouging

Question 13

The tenants of the Funeral Rule apply to __________ but not __________.

A) corporate funeral homes, family owned funeral homes
B) cemeteries, funeral homes
C) family owned funeral homes, corporate funeral homes
D) funeral homes, cemeteries

Question 14

What is the name of the largest funeral directors association?

A) National Cremation Association
B) National Funeral Directors Association
C) Federal Funeral Association
D) International Funeral Service Association

Question 15

According to Tonnies, the relationships in an Amish community are characterized by __________.

A) gemeinschaft
B) gesellschaft
C) urbanization
D) industrialization

Question 16

According to Tonnies, in a community characterized by gesellschaft, human relationships are generally __________.

A) traditional
B) strong
C) weak
D) close

Question 17

The __________movement was started by people in search of alternatives to expensive funeral and burial costs.

A) funeral consumer's rights
B) undertaker's rights
C) death benefit rights
D) FTC cost cap

Question 18

After his wife's death, Brendan decided to take care of funeral arrangements and his wife's burial himself. This practice is called a __________.

A) postmodern funeral
B) gemeinschaft funeral
C) McFuneral
D) home funeral

Question 19

When companies market themselves as environmentally friendly without making real changes in their business it is called __________.

A) greenwashing
B) envirowashing
C) greenselling
D) conservationism

Question 20

__________ can challenge communities characterized by gemeinschaft.

A) Funeral Rules
B) Greenwashing
C) Culture contact
D) Time warp

Question 21

One of the reasons funeral directors organize is to __________.

A) lobby Congress to repeal the Funeral Rule
B) maintain a code of professional conduct
C) buy out family owned funeral homes
D) greenwash the home funeral trend

Question 22

The practice of anonymity helps funeral conglomerates __________.

A) maintain the image of a small, caring business
B) greenwash their services
C) consolidate their services
D) effectively lobby Congress

Question 23

Susan and Jim are making the final arrangements for their mother who as just passed away. As part of their planning, the funeral director shows them a casket price list. Why is the funeral director doing this?

A) He thinks it is the moral thing to do.
B) He wants to sell Susan and Jim the least expensive casket.
C) He is required to do so by law.
D) He is preparing Susan and Jim for the cremation process.

Question 24

Sometimes funeral directors will refer to funeral flowers as __________.

A) natural funerals
B) floral tributes
C) lawn crypts
D) green honor

Question 25

The practice of __________ involves draining the blood from bodies and replacing it with preservation fluid.

A) embalming
B) greenwashing
C) casketing
D) cremation

Question 26

Discuss how the practice of embalming has changed over time.

Question 27

What does it mean to say there are functions to the death system? Explain at least four of the system's functions.

Question 28

Explain how death systems are different in communities characterized by gemeinschaft and gesellschaft. Use the death customs of two specific societies/cultures to illustrate your explanation.

Question 29

Why are some people concerned about the environmental impact of contemporary death practices? Discuss some of the specific things advocates of "green burials" are concerned about.