Death Preparation

What is death and what makes death such a mysterious subject? Death is defined as the permanent cessation of vital functions; the end of life. This is very scary when you think about it. This course has helped me understand the subjects surrounding death, and the process leading up to my death. “Death, dying and bereavement are fundamental and pervasive aspects of the human experience. Individuals and societies achieve fullness of living by understanding and appreciating these realities”. (Despelder, p. 540) Specifically, this paper will examine what I have learned throughout this course on the subject of death, and I will examine three examples of social learning and three examples of personal learning on the subject of death.
The high cost of a funeral is a social learning example that I will first discuss. I became very aware after viewing the funeral home video, reading Chapter 9 of the textbook, The Last Dance, and reading the General Price List given to us by Erin at the Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home that the funeral home business is a very profitable business. Since people die every single day, the need for funeral home services never diminishes nor does a poor economy affect this type of business. At the time of a loved one’s death, the family member, due to feelings of loss, sorrow and guilt, is extremely vulnerable emotionally, and most of the time will not shop around from one funeral home to another for the best price.
After my reading chapter 9 of the textbook, I came to realize that the funeral home business is a business about which the average person knows very little, and because of this lack of familiarity, funeral directors are in a position to take financial advantage of their customers (DeSpelder, p. 316). If the cost of health care premiums and uninsured medical expenses during a long terminal illness isn’t enough to put you in the poor house or if the deceased was unable to pay for yearly life insurance premiums to pay for the