Are These Funeral-Related Behaviors Considered Wired?
This survey is designed to explore how people view certain actions related to funeral practices and products.
1. Visiting a funeral supply store without a specific reason.
2. Taking photos or videos during ancestral worship on the Ghost Festival.
3. Purchasing aesthetically pleasing funeral items in advance for future use.
4. How would you react if someone shared photos of their ancestor worship ritual on social media?
5. Do you think it’s acceptable to keep a decorative urn or other funeral-related items in your home as a part of interior design?
6. Is it appropriate to attend a funeral service wearing bright or non-traditional clothing?
Each question only have three options:
WEIRD/NOT WEIRD/ACCEPTABLE
Data visualization:
Respondents generally view these behaviors as inappropriate outside of specific festivals.
Thematic Analysis:
1. Funeral products and traditional rituals should only happen during specific festivals.
I summarized this common understanding as “norms”. These are rules that people follow unconsciously, without questioning wether they make sense.
2. There Are Many Taboos Associated with Funeral-Related Behaviors.
I summarized it as “Taboos”. I mean, in traditional culture, there are some taboos around death, but these should not stop it from developing.
My intervention include visiting two funeral supplies store, documenting and filming my family’s ritual during Ghost Festival.
Through these actions, I aimed to gain deeper insights into these practices and challenge existing norms.