ABSTRACT
Hospitals have developed expeditious methods of classifying and routing dead patients; funeral parlors and morticians quickly and efficiently process and dispose of the dead body; funeral arrangements are formalized, conveniently sparing the family and friends of responsibilities and participation in the care for the dead. The routinization of events is evident as the body acquires an itinerary of its own and the family must muster its resources to keep pace with the events that are unfolding before it. Although funeral parlors have demonstrated considerable ingenuity and success in maintaining dignified atmospheres, the volume of their enterprise and the bureaucratic need to process funerals quickly and expeditiously tend to violate the privacy and dignity that the survivors feel appropriate to the event.
