ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the ideas of significant sociologists and the relationship of sociological perspectives to death, grief, and bereavement. Gerry Cox provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of how social status and culture affect one's care in the dying process, as they also do throughout one's life. Issues arise when the wishes of the dead person and/or the bereaved differ from the expectations of the community, given its culture. Because bereaved persons may or may not know what is expected by the community and may be too deeply grieving to do more than follow directions, the funeral director becomes the stage manager, and directs the bereaved as to their appropriate actions. After the funeral and its related activities are completed and relatives and friends have departed to resume their day-to-day lives, the bereaved individual or individuals are left to cope with the absence of a significant person in their lives.
