BEHAVIORAL differences as a reflection of social class have been reported for a variety of cultural phenomena. Class patterns, for example, have recently been described in connection with drinking habits,' sexual behavior,2 mate selection, 3 family ritual,4 etc. The purpose of this paper is to present findings which suggest that observable differences in class behavior exist after death; that is, with reference to funeral and burial customs and in practices associated with bereavement. So far as the writer is aware, the present attempt is the first in this particular cultural sphere, and it is hoped that the study will have value in extending the range of classstructure analysis. It is the writer's opinion, incidentally, that for sociologists interested in the general field of folkways, mores, and social origins, the customs and precedents which exist in the category of after death present virtually an untapped source of information. Before discussing the methodological difficulties involved in the present study, a few words are in order with respect to both the historical and the current picture of the field under consideration.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
William M. Kephart (1950) studied this question.