Death in Today's Society
Death Taboo
Introduction
Death distances humans from life, is what death is thought of today. Death that is the strongest proof of humans being mortals is denied on its face value by the modern age people. People try to escape death and defeat its existence to live a fearless life that maximizes their pleasure for eternity. The phobia against death has made people avoid discussing death in public, and today it has become a taboo, like pornography was in the medieval ages. Sociologists and thinkers such as Gorer, Moller and Cline have studied the subject in great detail with solid research and a concerted effort they have recognized the changed behavior of people towards death. Instead of accepting its existence and getting on with the reality: that we have to leave this world one day, people deny death. This is reflected in their behavior towards death rituals and gatherings. Discussing death or the deceased is considered to be strange in today's society. People that speak of death or the dead people face prudery at the hands of their social environment. Thus, death has become a taboo, or something that should not be talked about. This situation was not always the case; in fact this is a modern day development. This transition in the reactions of people with respect to death, as noted, studied and explained by Gorer and his proponents is known as Taboo Thesis.
In this paper a discussion will be made on the following thesis statement,
“Death, today, is treated as a fearsome, alien phenomena and has become a taboo, with lesser and lesser people concerned about it. “
Contribution from Gorer
Geoffrey Gorer, born in 1905, was a renowned English Anthropologist. He spent his life in understanding the nature of humans and how do they get along with different variation in their lives. One of his greatest contributions to the field of Sociology is his work and research on the notion of death, the transition that it has been through the ages and its prevalent status in the
Introduction
Death distances humans from life, is what death is thought of today. Death that is the strongest proof of humans being mortals is denied on its face value by the modern age people. People try to escape death and defeat its existence to live a fearless life that maximizes their pleasure for eternity. The phobia against death has made people avoid discussing death in public, and today it has become a taboo, like pornography was in the medieval ages. Sociologists and thinkers such as Gorer, Moller and Cline have studied the subject in great detail with solid research and a concerted effort they have recognized the changed behavior of people towards death. Instead of accepting its existence and getting on with the reality: that we have to leave this world one day, people deny death. This is reflected in their behavior towards death rituals and gatherings. Discussing death or the deceased is considered to be strange in today's society. People that speak of death or the dead people face prudery at the hands of their social environment. Thus, death has become a taboo, or something that should not be talked about. This situation was not always the case; in fact this is a modern day development. This transition in the reactions of people with respect to death, as noted, studied and explained by Gorer and his proponents is known as Taboo Thesis.
In this paper a discussion will be made on the following thesis statement,
“Death, today, is treated as a fearsome, alien phenomena and has become a taboo, with lesser and lesser people concerned about it. “
Contribution from Gorer
Geoffrey Gorer, born in 1905, was a renowned English Anthropologist. He spent his life in understanding the nature of humans and how do they get along with different variation in their lives. One of his greatest contributions to the field of Sociology is his work and research on the notion of death, the transition that it has been through the ages and its prevalent status in the
References: David Wendell Moller. “Dying and Historical Context.” Confronting Death. New York, Oxford University Press. 1996. Geoffrey Gorer. “Pornography of Death.” Death, Grief and Mourning.” Doubleday and Company. 1955. Sally Cline. “Earlier Times, Other Cultures and Religions.” Lifting the Taboo. New York University Press. 1995. Sally Cline. “Mortal Messages.” Lifting the Taboo. New York University Press. 1995. Tony Walter, “Modern death: taboo or not taboo.” Sociology, 1991, 25, pp. 293-310. One India Living. “History of the “Red” La Tomatina Festival.” Web. 2011