Magic, Secrets, and Grim Reality: Death Work and Boundary Management in the Role of the Funeral Director

Abstract

This article examines the performances that funeral directors undertake in protecting the public from the disorder of death and in creating the “magic” of a funeral. Goffman's (1959) concepts of back-stage/front-stage performances are used to illustrate the tension that arises as funeral workers switch between these two elements of their professional role. Based on fieldwork study in a number of funeral establishments, we present examples of the stress that they may experience in their management of the boundary between life and death.