Death in Black and White
Subtitle: Death, Ritual and Family Ecology (Hampton Press Communication Series. Critical Bodies)
Publisher: Hampton Press
Published: November 2003
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 208
ISBN-13: 9781572735248
Subjects: Customs; Death & Dying; Ethnic studies; USA; Social Science; African Americans; European Americans; Funeral customs and rites; Funeral rites and ceremonies; United States; Sociology
Description: "Death in Black and White takes a behind-the-scenes look at contemporary funeral practices to discover what similarities and differences exist between African American and European American cultures' experience of dealing with death. The author charts the divergent origins of such rituals of mourning from pre-colonial Africa and Europe to the time in which these cultural traditions came into contact during the period of American slavery, and the degree of fusion and variation that persists up to the present day." "Based on a foundation of cultural theory and scholarship, the author explores a variety of issues related to race, culture and death ritual practices by immersing himself in the rich narratives and sources of information gleaned from his in-depth interviews with funeral directors, corporate funeral home representatives, clergy and individuals who have recently lost a loved one. Additionally, he has observed numerous funeral and burial services and cemetery landscapes, and has examined federal and state public policies surrounding burial and disposal, as well as other forms of death-related discourse. Ultimately, the book describes how death rituals both manifest and reinforce different cultural identities, and suggests that perhaps, it is through the experience of death that we might find the most enduring possibilities for promoting greater cultural understanding by maintaining rather than eliminating such differences."--Jacket.