| Communications and Development |  |
Published by Communications and Development
Researching death and dying may seem a little depressing, but not so for UC sociologist Dr Ruth McManus (Sociology and Anthropology) who is embarking a new project looking at the cost of dying.
“Very little is known about how funerals may be a trigger for poverty — there is a gap in our understanding,” she said.
To gather information on this under-researched subject, Dr McManus, and fellow researcher Dr Cyril Schafer of Otago University, have been awarded a $19,500 grant by Building Research Capacity in the Social Sciences (BRCSS) to look at tensions between poverty and death.
“There is very little research about funerals and how much people are prepared or able to pay,” said Dr McManus. “Funeral homes often give the option of paying it off in instalments afterwards: sometimes it’s the members of the extended family who contribute. With a funeral costing on average $5000 for the essentials it is a lot of money for people who have not accounted for or planned for one.
“We live in a high-debt society and we want to know what people think is an appropriate way in which to farewell their loved ones. Obviously there will be cultural differences.”
To talk about it is hard for a lot of people. People have to negotiate the tensions and emotions that surround death and arrange for a proper send-off. What is a proper send-off is an important issue, Dr McManus said. “What is right emotionally, culturally and religiously varies and how people negotiate the different demands and restrictions, including the financial, is very important too.”
Death of a loved one brings out a lot of emotions and as funerals are often held behind closed doors, information has not been readily available. But, when asked, people have been forthcoming about their experiences, said Dr McManus. “People once they know that I’m not part of a funeral home have been happy and open speaking about their experiences.”
“It’s also interesting to see how people cope in this situation when a death occurs. People help each other out and show great compassion. As a sociologist I find that very interesting precisely because it is often overlooked, especially when the issue is linked to poverty.”
Dr McManus has set up an e-survey questionnaire as a fact-finding exercise. Once data has been collected, focus groups and interviews will further expand the research.
“Already there are some highlighted issues such as the large population of old ladies. Often their husbands died 10 years ago and they have limited means, but they may have planned their own funerals and put money away towards it to cover the cost. Women are very conscious of not wanting to be a burden. We can learn a lot from people and their views, opinions and behaviours in relation to funerals.”
In the meantime, Dr McManus is about to head to the UK to complete research on and edit her latest book about death and dying in a global age.
“Establishing an e-survey shows how even death is influenced by our global world. There is also the issue of carbon credits and how ecological a funeral is. It’s interesting to see that one of the most tradition-bound funerals — a Jewish one — is arguably one of the most ecological as it uses a purely wooden casket.”
“Death and dying is an incredibly interesting subject precisely because it is a hard fact of life. For me as a sociologist it reveals things about ourselves, how we relate to each other and how we organise to cope with the challenges that life brings. It can sometimes be a tricky subject to deal with, but very fascinating.”
If anyone is interested in finding out more about the project, or would like to take part in the survey, go to www.NZdeathresearchcentre.org.nz.
For further information please contact:
Jeanette Colman
Communications Manager
University of Canterbury
Ph (03) 364 2260
jeanette.colman@canterbury.ac.nz