The purpose of the study was to examine the elderly's satisfaction with lives in the past, thought on the death, uneasiness on the death, preparation for the death, thought on the funeral culture, ideas on funeral policy and cognition on the funeral c...
The purpose of the study was to examine the elderly's satisfaction with lives in the past, thought on the death, uneasiness on the death, preparation for the death, thought on the funeral culture, ideas on funeral policy and cognition on the funeral culture. The subject was 1,010 adults at their thirties or higher at Boryeong, Seosan, Dangjin, Taean, Yesan, and Hongseong, etc in Chungcheongnam-do. The questionnaire survey was done. The findings were as follow: Firstly, most of the interviewees were either largely or very much satisfied with their lives in the past, and did not cognize lives after death, and thought of the death from time to time. Secondly, the interviewees thought of uneasiness of the death at middle level, and they did not prepare for the death either almost or at all. They prepared for the death to alleviate burden of the family or to want to do by themselves: On the other hand, they did not prepare for the death because they thought of far distance with the death. Thirdly, the interviewees were satisfied with their lives in the past depending upon demographic factors, for instance, women, their ages of thirties to fifties, high educational background, believers of either the Buddhism or Christianity, being employed, living with spouse, high living standard from subjective point of view, good heath and two of children. Fourthly, they thought of the death often depending upon women, old ages, low educational background, having no job, low living standards from subjective point of view, being sick, having many children, in particular, number of sons. Fifthly, they thought of uneasiness of the death depending upon women, having no job and being sick. Sixthly, they prepared for the death more carefully depending upon women, the ones in their sixties or higher, low educational background, having no job, low living standards from subjective point of view, being sick, having three or more of children, and having three or more of sons. Seventhly, they thought of uneasiness of the death depending upon men, low satisfaction with lives in the past, frequent thinking of the death, and no preparation for the death: In particular, thinking of the death was the most important variable of the uneasiness of the death. Eighthly, half of the interviewees thought that 'too much expensive funeral expense' was the greatest problem of funeral culture in the nation: And, the interviewees said that they should decide upon funeral methods by themselves, and that funeral expense in average was expensive. They preferred funeral in order of natural burials, charnel house, and burials.
Ninthly, the ones who were satisfied with lives in the past expected of the world after death, and thought of the death less, and had low uneasiness of the death, and prepared for the death more carefully, and preferred natural burials, and preferred others than making a grave mound, and thought of invitation of funeral facilities in affirmative way. And, the ones who expected of the world after death thought much of the death to prepare for the death more carefully, and the ones who thought of the death often had uneasiness of the death prepared for the death more carefully with large number of the preparation and preferred others than charnel house: And, the ones who had uneasiness of the death prepared for the death less and prepared for charnel house and preferred others than natural burials and thought of invitation of funeral facilities and buildings in negative way. The ones who prepared for the death carefully had more number of items for the death, and thought of less amount of funeral, and preferred others than charnel house, and thought of funeral facilities and buildings in affirmative way. The ones who prepared for large number of items for the death thought of less amount of funeral and preferred others than natural burial and wanted making a grave mound. And, the ones who thought of much amount of funeral preferred natural burials, and the ones who wanted charnel house preferred others than either natural burials or making a grave mound: And, the ones who wanted natural burials preferred others than making a grave mound. Further studies were needed to suggest policy to develop reasonable funeral culture.