套裝的死亡行程,做為當代臺灣死亡儀式的特徵,彰顯了死亡儀式商品化的發展歷程。本研究即嘗試回答,當前臺灣死亡儀式商品化如何可能?而面對這樣的發展,臺灣社會又是如何回應。 避諱、充滿禁忌、盈滿哀痛的死亡儀式,圍繞其所發展的一切事物,是宇宙觀與人觀的彰顯與實踐、是社會連帶重塑與強化的機會、是社會生活不可避免之事,而如何處理死亡,在此更成為社會價值的實踐場域。死亡儀式的組織模式,從最初的鄰里互助到1990年代後商業化喪禮的發展;死亡儀式的內涵,從傳統漢人文化的「祖先信仰」轉化為當代自我獨特性的追求。這一連串的轉變不只是傳統與現代的差別,也不僅只是非組織化與組織化的差異,這其中的轉換牽涉到的是整體社會價值觀的轉換、生活與消費型態的改變,以及社會連帶方式的不同。因此,當死亡儀式在當代以商品化的樣貌呈現,市場經濟進入到過去社會所關照的領域時,社會如何應對這樣的轉變,即成為本研究關懷之課題。在對死亡儀式商品化的歷程進行探究時,本著另類可能的關懷,本文嘗試在死亡儀式商品化的巨浪中,看見不同的詮釋空間。
This research focuses on the development of the commoditization of death ritual in contemporary Taiwan. As we talk about death ritual, we are concerning about the whole process of how we deal with death. Focusing on the process of death ritual can help us to distinguish the different features between contemporary death ceremony and community-based ritual. Here, we try to portray the development of contemporary Taiwan funerals, the practice of those who provide funeral services, and behaviors of mourners who purchase those commodities of death ritual. In doing so, it examines the reaction of society while confronted with the commoditization of death ritual. While the death ritual becomes a “package-commodity”, there is nothing left for the deceased family but the price to pay. The commoditization and specialization of death ritual deprived the chance for people to practice the culture value and to “practice” their emotion(fear, sadness, filial piety…) The change of death ritual reflects not only in the image and the practice process, more important, in the structure of funerals and the values surrounding death