School:Mortuary Science and Thanatology

Welcome to the Mortuary Science & Thanatology School!

Introduction to the School


Thanatology, the scientific and sociological study of death, aims to investigate the physical processes, culture, history, psychology and rituals associated with human death in society. Mortuary science is the application of biochemistry and cosmetology to the preparation and storage of human remains, most specifically in the handling and treatment of remains for public viewing and burial rites. The combined skills of thanatology and mortuary science, in addition to skills in counselling and business management, provide the professional knowledge required for a funeral director. Great cultural and psychological significance is placed upon death by individuals in their daily lives; a fear of death in oneself and others is a common theme in psychological trauma. An expert funeral director can ensure a deceased person is buried with the greatest possible respect and care and, equally, that their relatives may have the comfort in knowing that their loved ones were well cared for. The funeral director must also act, in part, as a counsellor of the bereaved, as they may well be the first professional that relatives will have contact with.

This online Wikiversity School is a project that aims to provide learning resources for individuals wishing to learn about the theory and practice of these subjects, and the materials here will be particularly suitable for those indiviuals wishing to become embalmers or funeral directors. In additions, individuals simply curious about the process of death may also find these resources useful.

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Thanatology

 * Topic:Cultural sociology of death
 * Topic:Bereavement psychology
 * Topic:Legal and ethical issues in the funeral Industry
 * Topic:Religious and cultural aspects of death

Mortuary science

 * Mortuary science/Embalming Embalming is the process of sanitising, preserving, reconstructing and arresting decay of human remains, principally to permit viewing by relatives in a visitation.
 * Mortuary science/Health and safety
 * Mortuary science/Restorative art
 * Mortuary science/Cremation

Administration, Public Relations and Customer Service

 * Topic:Funeral directorship

Active participants
If you are an active participant in this school, you can list your name here (this can help small schools grow and the participants communicate better; for large schools it may not be needed). Alternatively, the histories of Wikiversity pages indicate who the active participants are - you can see this from clicking the "history" tab (beside the "edit" tab) at the top of any page.
 * NicholasTurnbull 03:56, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Linrx (discuss • contribs) 13:27, 2 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Steven H.Smith, Magnum Opus, Jan.15,2024

School news

 * 14th November 2008 - School founded!