Death is an unfortunate yet inevitable part of our lives. We are forced to deal with the loss of loved ones until the day that we pass away. During these times of grief there is someone there to attempt to relieve some of the burden that comes with this loss, and that is where the funeral director comes in. The funeral director is the individual who is given the task of every aspect of the funeral, from the embalming to the burial. But the funeral director does more than just this, they are the individual who is responsible for helping the family cope with the loss, and they are given the task of helping to remember and celebrate the life of the deceased. It is by no means an easy job, and requires a caring and compassionate individual
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Lanigan, I also was given the opportunity to job shadow at J&J Spratt Funeral Home in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Spratt’s is a well-respected institution and I was fortunate to receive the opportunity to work alongside the great people there. During my time there I was able to take part in all aspects of the funeral process. I helped with embalming, viewings, a funeral, cremation, and a burial. It was an eye opening experience, and I am grateful I was able to see first-hand the aspects of the industry that the average individual does not see. From both of these informative experiences, along with the research I did for my project, I learned a lot about the various social and psychological aspects of being a funeral director. I believe all that I was able to acquire from these experiences led me to see a different part of being a funeral director that only those in the business will understand. I hope to show through my paper how important social psychology is to being a funeral director in all aspects such as, the sociology of dealing with families and different cultures, along with the psychology aspect of constantly dealing with …show more content…
Being a good listener and being attentive are very important aspects. Also having a nice appearance is always important. Being able to communicate well with families is key. You have to have good communication skills to try to ease the families’ pain. Being comfortable in the embalming room is also obviously important. You need to have good organizational skills to be able to set up all the different aspects of the funeral. Being a detail oriented person also helps.
11. Q. Do you think there are psychological factors that make a person choose burial or cremation?
A. Yes I think that those who choose burial tend to have more traditional beliefs and views. There are many people who are now leaning towards cremation. Cremation is less expensive which may be the reason people are beginning to choose it more. Also cremation is seen as being simpler. I also think that sometimes people see cremation as a quicker way of turning to ashes. Some religions on the other hand won’t allow for cremations.
12. Q. Do you find any difference between a male’s and a female’s funeral?
A. I wouldn’t say so. I think that love and loss is not gender specific. In terms of the steps we take, I think the most important part is still listening to the family and being compassionate.
13. Q. Are there differences between funerals for different
Lanigan, I also was given the opportunity to job shadow at J&J Spratt Funeral Home in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Spratt’s is a well-respected institution and I was fortunate to receive the opportunity to work alongside the great people there. During my time there I was able to take part in all aspects of the funeral process. I helped with embalming, viewings, a funeral, cremation, and a burial. It was an eye opening experience, and I am grateful I was able to see first-hand the aspects of the industry that the average individual does not see. From both of these informative experiences, along with the research I did for my project, I learned a lot about the various social and psychological aspects of being a funeral director. I believe all that I was able to acquire from these experiences led me to see a different part of being a funeral director that only those in the business will understand. I hope to show through my paper how important social psychology is to being a funeral director in all aspects such as, the sociology of dealing with families and different cultures, along with the psychology aspect of constantly dealing with …show more content…
Being a good listener and being attentive are very important aspects. Also having a nice appearance is always important. Being able to communicate well with families is key. You have to have good communication skills to try to ease the families’ pain. Being comfortable in the embalming room is also obviously important. You need to have good organizational skills to be able to set up all the different aspects of the funeral. Being a detail oriented person also helps.
11. Q. Do you think there are psychological factors that make a person choose burial or cremation?
A. Yes I think that those who choose burial tend to have more traditional beliefs and views. There are many people who are now leaning towards cremation. Cremation is less expensive which may be the reason people are beginning to choose it more. Also cremation is seen as being simpler. I also think that sometimes people see cremation as a quicker way of turning to ashes. Some religions on the other hand won’t allow for cremations.
12. Q. Do you find any difference between a male’s and a female’s funeral?
A. I wouldn’t say so. I think that love and loss is not gender specific. In terms of the steps we take, I think the most important part is still listening to the family and being compassionate.
13. Q. Are there differences between funerals for different