Studies of mortuary value system and its behavior: Columbarium Niche burial and natural burial as study cases in Taiwan
Abstract
Aim: This research examines contemporary Taiwanese mortuary practices, identifies the disconnect between the country’s mortuary value system and its actual practice, and delves into the connections between the two and grief support. The government of Taiwan’s research findings will be used as a basis for developing funeral policy.
Method: Secondary data analysis, in-depth interviews, and thematic data analysis were used to compile this report. Participants in this study are relatives who have suffered a recent death within the last three years. In total, there are thirteen people taking part. 8 people chose to be interred in a columbarium niche, while 5 people went the natural route.
Findings: Lineal relatives are the backbone of the funeral planning strategy; "to be environmentally friendly and sanitation" and "not to be troublesome to the bereaved" are the primary justifications for selecting burial methods. Traditional wiping and bathing rites seem to be losing their fundamental purpose as more and more people choose not to send obituaries and shorten the length of the funeral to just seven days. While there is a discrepancy between funeral costs and etiquette, it is detrimental to grief care.
Implications/Novel Contribution: The findings of this study will be used by the government of Taiwan to guide the creation of a policy regarding natural burials. Grief support for the deceased’s family must be balanced against the government’s broader goal of protecting the environment and improving public health. Moreover, this study aims to bring the attention of the funeral industry, academic institutions, and policymakers to the negative impact of mortuary arrangements on the condensing of time and space.
References
Carnell, G. C. (2004). The complete guide to funeral planning: How to arrange the appropriate service. London, UK: Globe Pequot.
Chang, J. M. (1997). The politics and religion in yin shang dynasty and zhou dynasty. New York, NY: Sage Publications.
Chang, S. H. (2001). Research methodology. Taichung, Taiwan: Tsanghai Publishing.
Chen, K. Y., Yang, S. Y., & Ye, X. W. (2012). A research of the changing of traditional funeral etiquette & etiquette at Chia Yi, Taiwan-Stop corpse and watched over his bier during the funeral etiquette as an example. Journal of Chia Yi Research, 6(4), 87-134.
Chiang, I. H. (1997). Newly translated reader of liji. Taipei, Taiwan: San Min Book.
Chu, C. L. (2008). The introduction of mortuary science. Beijing, China: China Social Publisher.
Chu, C. L., & Wu, M. L. (2004). Mortuary economics. Beijing: China: Social Publisher.
Fulton, R. (2018). The contemporary funeral: Functional or dysfunctional? In, dying: Facing the facts. London, UK: Taylor & Francis.
Hoy, W. G. (2009). Website accessibility: Six characteristics of helpful ceremonies. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/37W1Wmq
Hsu, F. C. (1984). The study of civil traditional funeral etiquette in Taiwan (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hsu, F. C. (1994). Special volume of etiquette and folk custom discussion: Funeral etiquette. London, UK: Sage Publications.
Hsu, F. C. (200). Civil Tradition Mortuary and Folk Custom Study in Taiwan. California, CA: Willey and John Son’s.
Kuo, C. C. (2015). A study of ablution etiquette changes in Kaohsiung and Ping Tung area as examples (Unpublished masters thesis). Nanhua University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Kuo, Y. A. (2019). Choosing natural burial: Motivation and burial process and the subsequent life of the bereaved family (Unpublihed Masters thesis). Nanhua University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Lin, C. C. (2004). The tradition and change of funeral etiquette: Cases of han-Chinese People in Yilan area (Unpublsihed Masters thesis). Fo Guang University, Yilan, Taiwan.
Liu, K. S. (2014). The tempo-spatial evolution of the funeral etiquette in Taiwan (Unpublished masters dissertation). Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Liu, L. J. (2018). Denounces that the advertisement of funeral business distorted natural burial. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3zfbdCa
Malinowski, B. (1954). Magic, science and religion. California, CA: Doubleday.
Ministry of the Interior. (201). The study of funeral consumption in ROC, Taiwan (Technical report). Ministry of the Interior, Taipei, Taiwan.
Shimada, H. (2014). Zero burial: Die lightly. Tokyo, Japan: Shueisha Publishing House.
Wang, F. T. (2007). Mortuary culturology. Hunan, China: People’s Publishing House.
Yin, R. K. (2010). Qualitative research from start to finish. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
.png)
