Abstract
This ‘On the Front Line’ article explores the necessary and yet undesirable work undertaken by a third-generation, independent funeral director. Peter’s narrative account of the realities of funeral directing and his journey into the family business offers a poignant insight into the dirty work of death work. Reflecting on his own exposure, experiences and practices Peter offers us an opportunity to see behind the scenes, to hear how he has learnt to cope with death work undertaken by his family. Consequently, we reflect on how performances of emotional neutrality afford funeral directors the capacity to offer comfort to the bereaved in the face of such extreme dirty work. Yet, as Peter shares, this neutrality masks the dirt and hides the pain of ‘dealing with the dead’.
Highlights
This ‘On the Front Line’ article explores the necessary and yet undesirable work undertaken by a third-generation, independent funeral director
There are four distinct if overlapping forms of dirty work: physical; social; moral (Ashforth and Kreiner, 1999; Hughes, 1951, 1958, 1962); and emotional (McMurray and Ward, 2014). Those working in independent family-run funeral homes, come into contact with all four forms of dirt and are required to handle the stigma associated with that work (Thompson, 1991)
The death work undertaken by funeral directors is physically dirty insofar as it involves work with bodies, bodily fluids and physical waste
Summary
This ‘On the Front Line’ article explores the necessary and yet undesirable work undertaken by a third-generation, independent funeral director. Those working in independent family-run funeral homes, come into contact with all four forms of dirt and are required to handle the stigma associated with that work (Thompson, 1991).
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