Death, Anthropology of

The anthropology of death examines the diversity and commonalties in how human societies respond to the demise of its members. Anthropologists have documented the enormous cultural variation in the methods for disposing of the corpse, the expected behavior of the bereaved, and the ongoing relations between the living and their dead. Most cultures conceptualize death as a transition, or rite of passage, in which the fate of the corpse is linked to the ritual status of the mourners. The social impact of the death is related directly to the social status of the deceased and the type of death. The sudden, violent death of an important leader may paralyze a society, while the lingering death of a marginal stranger may pass unnoticed. Death rituals provide an opportunity to reassert core cultural values at a time of potential demoralization, and as such have important economic, political, and ideological aspects. Contemporary Western attitudes toward death, seen from a cross-cultural perspective, appear decidedly "deviant." Future research will focus on rituals and institutions, as well as on the impact of new technologies (medical, computer, space, etc.) on the changing conception of death.