Race differences in acceptance of cremation: Religion, Durkheim, and death in the African American community

Abstract

Research has demonstrated race differences in the acceptance and occurrence of cremation (International Cemetery and Funeral Association [ICFA], 2005). However, there has not been an attempt to explain these differences sociologically. Two phases of research were conducted to investigate race differences in the acceptance of cremation. In phase one, using a representative sample of university students at a university in the southern United States ( N=510), racial differences in the acceptance of cremation were examined. Quantitative results suggest that African Americans are less accepting of cremation than whites, yet the specific mechanisms that produce this difference remain unclear. In the second phase of this study, qualitative interviews ( N=17) were used to further investigate the robust race difference. African Americans report both social as well as religious reasons for greater adherence to traditional burial customs. Higher levels of cohesion and religiosity, combined with a history of oppression among African Americans, are considered within a Durkheimian framework as mechanisms that contribute to the difference in attitudes.