The Ethics of Selling Funeral Services

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the ethical issues involved in selling funeral services to the families of deceased relatives. The paper discusses the mission of the Funeral Ethics Association and how it strives to educate funeral directors to act in the best interests of the public and the common interests of the profession. The paper ends by discussing the changing nature of the funeral tradition and how this is affecting funeral directors.

From the Paper:

"The mission of the Funeral Ethics Association is "to provide the public and the profession with a balanced forum for resolving misunderstandings and to elevate the importance of ethical practices in all matters related to funeral service" (Funeral2). This is achieved through the continuing education of funeral directors and clear presentations to the public, such as information regarding "funeral options, funeral prearrangements, prefinanced funerals and the ethical purposes of the funeral profession' (Funeral2). The intent of the Funeral Ethics Association is to cultivate ethical harmony and cooperation while establishing ethical relationships between the pubic and funeral service (Funeral2). To accomplish these purposes, the FEA publishes newsletters on ethical practices, hears matters dealing with ethics, and establishes an office of ombudsman to act in the best interests of the public and the common interests of the profession (Funeral2)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barol, Bill. (2004 March 01). Death & the Salesman: Irreverence and death don't mix. Unless you're the Cassity brothers, who bring a show-biz sensibility to the staid funeral business. FSB. Retrieved March 18 2006 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.
• Bern-Klug; Mercedes; Ekerdt, David J.; Wilkinson, Deborah Schild. (1999). What families know about funeral-related costs: implications for social work practice. Health and Social Work. Volume: 24. Issue: 2. Pp.128. Retrieved March 18 2006 from Questia Online Library Web site.
• Code of Ethics. (2000). Retrieved March 18 2006 from Funeral Assistant.com Web site: http://www.funeralassistant.com/code_of_ethics.htm
• Funeral Customs. (2006). The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 18 2006 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.
• Funeral1 Ethics Association. Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions. Retrieved March 18 2006 from: http://ethics.iit.edu/codes/coe/Funeral_Ethics_Association.html

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