The Life and Death of Funeral Practices: Persistence and change in the death system and the rise of eco-funerals in the United States

While societies are becoming increasingly aware of their environmental footprint in life, people rarely stop to think about the ecological impact they might have after they die. Yet in the United States, post-mortem customs have created an unsustainable death system based on toxic embalming, emissions-heavy cremation, and material-intensive ground burials, all while facing a growing, aging population and dwindling global resources. This thesis addresses the social side of this important, neglected issue, by recognizing that systems and traditions do not exist on their own but are developed and perpetuated by society. The project combines the multi-level perspective with social practice theory as a dual framework for understanding the micro- and macro-level dynamics behind change and continuation in the American death system and its constitutive practices. Tracing funeral customs back to their historical origins reveals how they have emerged, evolved, and persisted throughout the past century, exemplifying the ‘stickiness’ of social norms and the path dependence of societal structures. Yet the turn from burial to cremation also exemplifies that systems can and do change alongside shifting consumer preferences and the evolving sociotechnical background. Correspondingly, the project examines the intertwined developments that have opened a window of opportunity for eco-funerals to move from a niche practice to potentially reconfiguring the American death system. Where mainstream practices fill, pollute, and permanently occupy the earth with harmful ashes or with chemically preserved bodies in durable constructions, green funerals enrich nature by facilitating the decomposition of the body, thereby enabling the natural cycle between death, decay, and new life. Drawing on qualitative interviews and participatory site observations, the findings from this research reveal that despite a widespread persistence of conventional methods, green funerals are increasingly challenging the dominant regime by offering solutions that are ecologically sustainable, cost-effective, and more healing to the bereaved. However, challenges to a potential ‘green transformation’ include resistance by the dominant funeral industry and the potential for greenwashing. Hence, the project concludes with a proposal for small-scale, community-oriented green ‘micro death systems,’ and offers directions for future research in this field. This study contributes to the tangible discussion on funeral reform as well as the broader theoretical discussion on sustainable transformations.