People in the Death System
Introduction
The death system was a concept developed based on the assumption that death is an inevitable factor in life. Everybody alive in the world today has or will interact with death in future. This can be their death or the deaths of other people that they know (Kastenbaum, 2012). From his perspective the death system is an interpersonal, sociocultural and a network that is symbolic interaction where the relationship between people and death is mediated by the society. Death in the society is no longer an individual concern but a societal matter (Kastenbaum, 2012). Proper understanding on how the death system works can only be realized form a broader context especially on the role of death in maintaining social order (Corr et al, 2009). The main objective of this paper is to assess the role of the people involved in the death system. These are individual who earn their livelihoods by offering services which revolve around death. This will include the roles of a funeral director, life insurance agents, weapon designers and bassoonist.
People in the death systems
Funeral directors
The complications involved in the process of acquiring a dead body from a funeral home or a hospital necessitates the need for a funeral director. The main responsibility of this individual is to develop an accurate and complete death certificate. Currently the death certificate contains personal information about the dead, certified medical report that is signed by the physician and the mode of disposing the remains (Kastenbaum, 2012). This information is important for the statisticians in the society. The statisticians have the responsibility of developing data on the number of deaths and identifying different trends related to death. This is only realizable when there are competent funeral directors to provide accurate information (Corr et al, 2009).
The need to make death a more dignified occurrence in the society makes the role of the funeral director important especially in the coordination of activities related to information about the deceased. The cause of death information from the physician can be used in assessing the death situation of patients who were undergoing a medical procedure (Kastenbaum, 2012). In addition, the complexities related to death and the process of dying requires qualified personnel to execute this responsibility. This means that it is the responsibility of the funeral directors to secure the signatures of the persons pronouncing death and review the signature for the purpose of accuracy (Corr et al, 2009).
The causes of death are not only related to medicine but are also related to human error such as accidents. The funeral director has the responsibility of informing the medical examiners of deaths that have occurred without medical interventions of those that result from suicides, homicides and accidents. This role extends to the postmortem sessions especially when seeking information concerning deaths resulting from unclear circumstances. The family of the bereaved may not have the capacity to understand different terminologies related to the cause of death. However, the relationship between the medical personnel, the pathologist and the funeral director acts as a platform through which the bereaved can access accurate information concerning the case of death (Kastenbaum, 2012).
The funeral director with the help of the hospital and funeral homes plays the role of body identification and verification. This is especially in situations where the circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased are related to factors that make the body unrecognizable (Corr et al, 2009). During such situations the funeral director has the responsibility of assisting the bereaved to obtain information or the remains of the deceased on the basis of scientific research. It is also a requirement for the funeral director to be familiar with the legal procedures on matters related to death. This is especially in situations where an explanation of the cause of death requires legal intervention. The bereaved will often require the services of the funeral director to increase the possibility that they will obtain relevant and justified information form the judicial system (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Life insurance agents
The realization that death is an inevitable factor in life generates the arguments that there is need for individual to prepare for any form of interaction with death. This is based on the realization that despite the warnings on the available dangers, it is often difficult to predict the occurrence of death (Kastenbaum, 2012). Death in the contemporary society is perceived as an occurrence that requires financial intervention. This form of intervention is necessitated by the societal need to maintain the dignity of the deceased while at the same time promoting the wellbeing of the bereaved families.
Rise of individualism and availability of disposable income can be perceived as the main reason for the existence of life insurance agents. These agents provide insurance policies that guarantee the wellbeing of the bereaved family and the deceased. Individuals who obtain life insurance policies are often involved in some form of savings plan (Corr et al, 2009). This enables them to set aside part of their income ad save for impending funeral expenses and other benefits that will be provided to their beneficiaries. Life insurance policies often mature upon the death of the policy holder. In such a situation, it will be easier for the life insurance companies to intervene on behalf of the deceased (Kastenbaum, 2012). The burden and pain that is related to death is therefore reduced especially when there are sufficient finances to cater for the funeral expenses and the wellbeing of the bereaved. This is an aspect of additional financial security in anticipation of the uncertain future. The plan provided by the life insurance agents is also one that generates peace of mind. Life insurance, from this approach helps in protecting the society against the uncertainties of life. This peace of mind is also based on the understanding that life insurance provides the bereaved family with a platform on how to begin life even after the loss of a loved one (Corr et al, 2009).
Life insurance agents also provide hope which is considerd as a necessity in situations of death. The pain that accompanies death often requires the intervention of different members of the society. When assessed from a philosophical approach, the maintained of social order is often the objective of any societal institution. Functionalist approach to e understanding of different societal structures can be used in the assessments of the roles that these structure play in marinating or improving social order (Kastenbaum, 2012). The insurance agents provide the society with a strategy of life after death. This strategy is founded on the belief that is needed to safeguard and plan for the family even after the death of the sole breadwinner. In other situations it is a plan on how a family can ensure limited financial losses in the event that one of its members dies.
Weapons designers
The use of weapons in defense of personal or societal interest has often been perceived as an important component in the death system. This is because through different discoveries in science weapons have been made in varied proportions to cause different forms of harm or death on the victims (Kastenbaum, 2012). The role of weapon designers in the death systems revolves around the understanding weapons are responsible mass casualties. The design of any weapon is often based on the target and the intention. Guns for example are weapons that have been designed for the purpose of killing and injuring the target. Despite this realization, it is also important to understand that different type of guns have been used to propagate murder in different proportions (Corr et al, 2009).
The developments in technology have contributed to growth in the design of weapons. This means that through different technological intervention sin the weapon industry, smaller weapons that case massive damages and deaths have been developed in the society. Wars in the contemporary society are fought and won by the warring factions that have the ability to develop and use weapons of mass destructions (Kastenbaum, 2012). Chemical weapons and nuclear weapons for instance have characterized the design and the use of weapons in the society. In addition, the desire by different faction of the society to seize and exercise power can be said to be a contributing factor in the design of more sophisticated and technologically driven weapons.
Weapon designers just like all the other people in the death system have a role to play in marinating social order. This is because the society is often developed through deaths and births. The purpose of birth is to ensure generational continuity after death of a previous generation. Weapon designers play the role of assisting the society to realize social order in terms of population demographics (Kastenbaum, 2012). Weapon designers are also responsible for the wars that have continuously claimed large percentage of population. Terrorism for instance has been cited as one of the greatest challenges in security related concerns. This is because of their ability to turn different elemis into weapons (Corr et al, 2009). For instance in the September 11 attacks, terrorist used aircrafts as weapons of mass destruction. Terrorist complications involved in handling terrorist related threats are derived from their ability to use weapons in unpredictable ways as in the case of suicide bombing. This when understood in relation to death system generates the thought that the availability of weapons and an increase in the levels of creativity is a prerequisite of more deaths (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Bassoonist
Bassoonists play an essential role in the death system. This is because just like all other forms of music, the use of bassoon aims at creating a serene environment in situations of pain and sadness especially after the loss of a loved one (Corr et al, 2009). The skills and the competencies of a bassoonist often help in the determination of the best and the most relevant type of music be played in situations of death. The frequency in occurrence of funerals has been cited as a contributing factor to the rise in the number of bassoonist in the contemporary society. The need of a methodology on how to comfort the bereaved and create a feeling of concern for their peace of mind has been enhanced through the use of well-articulated sounds from a bassoon (Corr et al, 2009).
The role of bassoonist in the death system when assessed from a utilitarian perspective can be said to be promoting the levels of assurance among the bereaved. This assurance comes from the soothing tone of music and the presence of the bassoonist also creates the feeling of concern for the wellbeing of the bereaved. This feeling of reassurance also plays a role in the promotion of social cohesion (Kastenbaum, 2012). This is because the bassoonist through his music reminds the society that death is an inevitable aspect that every human being must experience. In addition, the role of the bassoonist is also to ensure the creation of an environment which promotes reverence in times of death (Corr et al, 2009).
Man in the society has often been perceived to respect the dead and revere their places of burial. One way through which the bassoonist displays respect to the dead is by playing music that was perceived as the most favorite by the deceased. This not only displays respect but also provides a platform of remembering the deceased for all the achievements that he had realized during his stay on earth (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Conclusion
Making sense of death is the principle role of the people involved in the death system. The funeral director, the bassoonist, life insurance agents and weapon designers are agents of the society who are responsible for providing explanations on why death occurs. death is an inevitable fact and every individual on earth will experience it an unknown time this makes it important to plan for the future and protect the bereaved from too much pain.
References
Corr, C. A., Nabe, C., & Corr, D. M. (2009). Death and dying, life and living. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Kastenbaum, R. (2012). Death, society, and human experience. Boston: Pearson