Death and Dying in Central Appalachia: Changing Attitudes and Practices

By Crissman and James K. Crissman

Book Overview

James Crissman explores cultural traits related to death and dying in Appalachian sections of Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia, showing how they have changed since the 1600s. Relying on archival materials, almost forty photographs, and interviews with more than 400 mountain dwellers, Crissman focuses on the importance of family and "neighborliness" in mountain society.

Written for both scholarly and general audiences, the book contains sections on the death watch, body preparation, selection or construction of a coffin or casket, digging the grave by hand, the wake, the funeral, and other topics. Crissman then demonstrates how technology and the encroachment of American society have turned these vital traditions into the disappearing practices of the past.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0252063554
• ISBN13: 9780252063558
• Release Date: March 1994
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Death and Dying

I took the class Death and Dying with Dr. Crissman, the author of this book, and it is really informational. The details that he presents in this book are vivid. Though the pictures are not of the best quality, this is understandable because they are from the early part of the century. The research that he performed for this book allows for the inclusion of information that normally would not find its way into a text book. Don't get me wrong, this is not written in a traditional text format, but there is enough factual information in it that allows for it to be used as such or as a recreational reading book. I would recommend this book if you are interested in the various rituals that have been performed in the past in association with death and the meaning behind those rituals.