Analysis of Environmental-Ethical Concerns Within the United States Funeral Industry

This thesis examines the failings in environmental-ethics present in the United States funeral industry, focusing on the lack of environmental ethical guidelines at an industrial and policy level. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach through the lenses of environmental science, philosophical ethical considerations surrounding policy-based advocacy and ecocritical approaches to the concepts of reciprocity and harm reduction, this thesis makes recommendations to close the gaps in environmental ethical oversight. Focus is placed on mitigation of environmental harms resulting from changes in policy and legislation, and in-industry oversight, with an emphasis on the support of ecologically beneficial methods of the disposition of human remains.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Material Culture and Public Humanities

Department dc:contributor.department

Material Culture and Public Humanities

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Wisnewski, Olivia Ann

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Moseley-Christian, Michelle

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Christensen, Danille
• Olson, Philip R.

• US deathcare practices
• environmental ethics
• natural burial
• cremation
• Alkaline Hydrolysis
• Natural Organic Reduction
• ethical analysis
• harm reduction

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:38493

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116294