Do Funerals Matter?: The Purposes and Practices of Death Rituals in Global Perspective

by William G. Hoy

Do Funerals Matter? is a creative interweaving of historical, sociocultural, and research-based perspectives on death rituals, drawing from myriad sources to create a picture of what death rituals have been; and where, especially in the Western world, they are going. The Classic Edition includes a new preface from the author reflecting on changes in the field since the book’s initial publication.

Death educators, researchers, counselors, clergy, funeral-service professionals, and others will appreciate the book’s theory- and research-based approach to the ways in which different cultural groups memorialize their dead. They will also find clear clinical and practical applications in the author’s exploration of the five ritual anchors of death-related ceremonial practice and help for professionals counseling the bereaved surrounding funerals. Based on nearly four decades of research and teaching on funeral rites, this volume promises to fill an important gap in the cross-cultural literature on bereavement, while answering an important question for our Do funerals matter?

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2013

Reviews

[Candy Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn’t for leisure and if you don’t find death rituals facilitating, it isn’t going to your cup of tea. BUT you can sense Hoy’s intellect and passion for the topic. It is thorough, well organized, and since he is interested, he makes it interesting.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for my sociology of funeral service class and I learned a lot from it! Ive studied funeral history extensively and this book complements that knowledge well. This book demonstrates all of the traditions that make funeral service meaningful but also allows us to look forward to contemporary viewpoints to continue to make funerals meaningful. Love the research of funeral customs from all different cultures.