Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals
AbstractDespite growing awareness of our environmental footprint in life, the ecological impact of death is rarely considered. Yet conventional funeral practices pose a risk to both human and environmental health by polluting the earth and contributing to climate change, thus calling for more sustai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2023.2243779 |
| _version_ | 1797399250950160384 |
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| author | Elena M. Slominski |
| author_facet | Elena M. Slominski |
| author_sort | Elena M. Slominski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractDespite growing awareness of our environmental footprint in life, the ecological impact of death is rarely considered. Yet conventional funeral practices pose a risk to both human and environmental health by polluting the earth and contributing to climate change, thus calling for more sustainable methods of body disposal. Although various eco-funeral options have been gaining momentum in the United States, they have not yet been adopted into mainstream culture. Drawing on empirical data from participatory site observations and semi-structured interviews with funeral professionals, this study examines the factors that are driving or hindering widespread uptake of eco-funerals in the country. A multilevel panarchy framework is then used to situate these evolving funeral practices within the broader historical context. This article offers two important contributions: 1) it adds a novel frontier to the understanding of sustainable social practices by exploring death practices, and 2) it furthers theoretical and practical insights into the dynamic interactions between micro-level practices and macro-level developments within system transitions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:36:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1b013d470ca4e4f9050dd08ee848c75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1548-7733 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:36:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1b013d470ca4e4f9050dd08ee848c752023-12-09T05:55:10ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy1548-77332023-12-0119110.1080/15487733.2023.2243779Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funeralsElena M. Slominski0School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USAAbstractDespite growing awareness of our environmental footprint in life, the ecological impact of death is rarely considered. Yet conventional funeral practices pose a risk to both human and environmental health by polluting the earth and contributing to climate change, thus calling for more sustainable methods of body disposal. Although various eco-funeral options have been gaining momentum in the United States, they have not yet been adopted into mainstream culture. Drawing on empirical data from participatory site observations and semi-structured interviews with funeral professionals, this study examines the factors that are driving or hindering widespread uptake of eco-funerals in the country. A multilevel panarchy framework is then used to situate these evolving funeral practices within the broader historical context. This article offers two important contributions: 1) it adds a novel frontier to the understanding of sustainable social practices by exploring death practices, and 2) it furthers theoretical and practical insights into the dynamic interactions between micro-level practices and macro-level developments within system transitions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2023.2243779Eco-funeralsgreen burialnatural organic reductionpanarchy modelregime shiftssocial practices |
| spellingShingle | Elena M. Slominski Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy Eco-funerals green burial natural organic reduction panarchy model regime shifts social practices |
| title | Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals |
| title_full | Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals |
| title_fullStr | Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals |
| title_short | Life of the death system: shifting regimes, evolving practices, and the rise of eco-funerals |
| title_sort | life of the death system shifting regimes evolving practices and the rise of eco funerals |
| topic | Eco-funerals green burial natural organic reduction panarchy model regime shifts social practices |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2023.2243779 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elenamslominski lifeofthedeathsystemshiftingregimesevolvingpracticesandtheriseofecofunerals |