1. Family Governance

2. Readings Question #1 Why is an understanding of the family unit critical to the efficacy of the funeral director’s service?

3. Readings Question #2 Define, compare and contrast the three basic family governance systems.

4. Types of Families Open Closed Random How would each of these family types most likely deal with grief?

5. Family Cohesion and Differentiation enmeshment disengagement flexibility: rigid chaotic

6. Communication open closed

7. Readings Question #3 Compare and contrast the extended, nuclear, modified extended, single parent, and blended families and domestic/unmarried partners.

8. Readings Question #4 List Maslow’s 5 basic needs in order of priority. Provide examples of each as they relate to the family unit. What are the tasks of the family unit?

9. Readings Question #5 In today’s American society, relatives are not as physically involved with the process of death and dying. There is also a feeling that we are creating “death-free generations”. How might these factors affect the response of a person to a death?

10. Roles Families create roles for their members. What might some of these roles be? How might the role of the decedent affect the reaction of the family to the loss?

11. Changes Which Have Affected Funeral Service gradual shift from extended family systems to nuclear family systems aided by the modified extended system 5 processes responsible for this “modernization”: urbanization industrialization bureaucratization longevity death in institutions

12. Urbanization “the change from rural to urban in character”

13. Readings Question #6 How did the “urbanization” of America affect family members and their relationship with the funeral director?

14. Industrialization “individual crafting of products is replaced by manufacture of goods utilizing mass production techniques” historical and social phenomenon leads to a loss of craftsmanship

15. Bureaucratization “ the creation of a system which governs through departments and subdivisions managed by sets of officials following an inflexible routine”

16. Readings Question #7 How has the “bureaucratization” of America impacted the responsibilities of the funeral director?

17. Longevity extended life expectancy industrialization and improved health measures contributed to reducing mortality rates protective health care helped prevent childhood diseases 1930’s and 1940’s: average life expectancy showed significant gains modern “cure-oriented” medicine: mid 20 th century

18. Death in Institutions Decline in visible death Death is removed from the common American experience 1949: 49.5% deaths in health care institutions 1990: 80% in health care institutions

19. Brown University Deaths occurring at home: 1989 – 15.9% 1997 – 22.5% 2001 – 23.5% Deaths occurring in a hospital: 1989 – 62.3% 1997 – 51.7% 2001 – 49.5%

20. Brown University Deaths occurring in a nursing home: 1989 – 19.2% 1997 – 23% 2001 – 23.2%