Dark Energies and Thankful Families: Embodiment Practices Among Midwestern Funeral Directors

Funeral directors hold a unique position in our society for several reasons: first, they are closest to death, yet, are not as vulnerable as those who are actively grieving. Second, they make a living from work that is still, largely, an intimate family affair. Funeral Directors are on the frontlines of how our society deals with death. They work daily with the dead and the grieving. Because of the nature of their work, there has been no shortage of public scrutiny and conspiracy regarding funeral directors (Batista 2017, Carden 2001). The simultaneously emotional and profitable nature of their work puts funeral directors in a unique position for criticism In an effort to better understand how funeral directors cope with their complex role in our society, and to understand how they embody social norms and values in their labor, I have interviewed a handful of local funeral directors. These interviews were conducted using an open-ended, conversational technique, which best allows each participant to have complete control over their own narrative. This project reflects on not only the personal narratives of those who work among the dead, but also grapples with the larger implications of how funeral directors conceptualize their work