User:Mayhem03/sandbox

Final Draft Edits

 * Consumer Protection section:
 * A number of factors make this business unique from the customer's point of view, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Funerals are among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make; most often, a consumer goes through the decision making for this process once, so that there is little experience, and often few sources of information are used; and those making funeral decisions may be under time pressure and significant emotional duress. Funeral homes are regulated under the Funeral Rule.
 * Beginning in 1972, the FTC began investigating the funeral industry. In August of 1975, the FTC released a proposal that suggested the following regulations: prices must be itemized, permission of the next of kin must be obtained before embalming, prices must be quoted over the telephone if requested, and the most inexpensive casket must be displayed with the others. Additionally, the FTC Funeral Rule outlawed false claims and efforts by undertakers to blackball funeral homes that provided cheaper services.

In the United States, there are more than 19,322 funeral homes, approximately 115,000 cemeteries, 1,155 crematories, and an estimated 300 casket sellers. The total revenue produced from the funeral industry in the U.S. alone was $14.2 billion in 2016. Enough embalming fluid is buried every year to fill eight Olympic-size pools; more steel (in caskets alone) than was used to build the Golden Gate Bridge; and enough reinforced concrete to construct a two-lane highway from New York to Detroit.

In the 1960s, a push for large companies acquiring smaller funeral homes and cemeteries occurred. Although there has been a consistent push for consolidation, the majority of the industry still consists of small, family-owned businesses. Experts and analysts of the industry have estimated that the top six funeral operators control 25 to 30% of all funeral services in North America, with the top four owning between 15 and 20% of all funeral homes.

The industry is experiencing a recent trend toward cremation as opposed to the traditional funeral and burial services due to lower costs and increased value. By the year 2020, the rate of cremation is expected to be 56.2% versus 37.8% for burial. Regardless of choice of funerary option, the overall industry is experiencing growth due to the aging baby-boomer generation.

Between the years of 1990 and 2018, the overall average inflation rate was 2.32% per year while the average inflation rate for funeral expenses was 3.71% per year. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this means that the average cost of a funeral in 2018 is 177.43% more expensive than a funeral in 1990.

Will be taking out the crossed out portion from the actual page.

Religious influences:

 * Judaism - There are two major values that the Jewish community embraces when dealing with death and dying: kavod hamet and nichum avelim. Kavod hamet means to "honor the dead" which involves treating the dead body with the same respect and dignity that they were treated with while living. This is the underlying basis for the tradition of Jewish individuals not opting for autopsies. The body can be prepared for burial by either a professional or a lay person. The dead are typically buried in a family plot, and cremation is prohibited by Jewish law.
 * Native Americans - Native American religion has Christian influences and is therefore a mixture of tribal traditions and Christianity. Since many people attend the wakes and funerals of Native Americans, funeral homes are rarely utilized. Additionally, floral arrangements are rarely used in the funeral procession or ordered by guests for the grieving family. Funeral directors must understand that, at the burial, family members and friends assist in filling the grave.
 * Buddhism - The mind is a very important aspect in death for Buddhists. Caregivers and family members work to achieve a calm and peaceful environment for the dying. Family members plan the funeral so funeral directors are not necessary in the funerary process. Additionally, embalming is not traditional of Buddhist and is not typically performed since there is no belief of resurrection of the body. The services may be carried out at a funeral home if the family so chooses, and it is customary for flowers and fruits to be brought. Both cremation and burial are practiced in the Buddhist religion.
 * Catholicism - Traditionally, Catholics hold a vigil and then a funeral service with the deceased body or ashes present. After the services, there is a graveside service for the burial of the body or ashes. Until 1963, cremation in the Catholic religion was forbidden. However, the Supreme Congregation of the Holy Office endorsed an Instruction with regard to the Cremation of Bodies and, following this endorsement, Pope Paul VI also endorsed this instruction.
 * Quakers and Unitarians - These two religions utilize similar traditions for death and dying. If memorial services are utilized, the body is typically cremated immediately following or donated for educational and scientific purposes. For the ceremonies or services in these religions, there is no embalming and no caskets. The ashes are either scattered, buried in a cemetery plot, or placed in a mausoleum niche.

Week 11
Burial vs. Cremation


 * Cremation took off in the nineteenth century as the values that it embodied – purity, simplicity, economy – were synonymous with American values of the time. However, with heavy Judeo-Christian influences claiming that cremation was a “pagan practice” and with the 1886 Roman Catholic Church ban on cremation, the practice began to decline in the early twentieth century. After World War II, the national cremation rate further stagnated, staying at 3.7% for the next two decades.
 * In 1963, the Cremation Association of America (CAA) admitted that cremation in America had remained stagnant over the past two decades. In addition to the religious influences, the booming postwar economy played a part. This same year, however, the tide began to turn in favor of cremation with Pope Paul VI’s endorsement and Jessica Mitford’s The American Way of Death coming into the picture.
 * On May 8, 1963 at the Second Vatican Council, the Supreme Congregation of the Holy Office endorsed an Instruction with regard to the Cremation of Bodies and on July 5, Pope Paul VI also endorsed this instruction.
 * In 1963, Jessica Mitford released her book The American Way of Death in which she criticized the postwar funeral directors as capitalizing on the booming economy and the grieving. She concluded that smart consumers would opt for cheaper, simpler death rites such as cremation. Mitford’s main complaints were that funeral directors were taking financial advantage of the grieving family members and that these same funeral directors were selling overly extravagant products and services.
 * In 1964, the Anti-Trust Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate held hearings on funeral industry collusion and Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish clergy spoke out against the excessive expenses of funerals. In 1972, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began their investigation into the death care industry and in 1984, the FTC issued the Federal Trade Rule which included regulations such as requiring funeral directors to provide detailed, itemized price lists to all clients, informing clients that embalming is not required by law, and allowing clients to choose non-traditional alternatives.
 * In addition to the change in Catholic thought and Mitford’s book, the memorial society movement and rise of environmentalism were reasons for the upward trend in cremation seen in the death care industry.

After writing this, I think it may be too repetitive to be its own subheading. I am thinking about adding it (parts of it) under History instead.

Week 10
I added to the history section on the actual Wiki page and will be adding what I wrote below to the statistics section. I need to ask some questions on how best to write the religion section concisely/in a way that will make the most sense to readers. I have some notes to show you on this to get your opinion. Additionally, I had some questions on the addition of graphs to show statistics, although, I may need to ask our Wiki experts.

Statistics
Between the years of 1990 and 2018, the overall average inflation rate was 2.32% per year while the average inflation rate for funeral expenses was 3.71% per year. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this means that the average cost of a funeral in 2018 is 177.43% more expensive than a funeral in 1990.

In the 1960s, a push for large companies acquiring smaller funeral homes and cemeteries occurred. Although there has been a consistent push for consolidation, the majority of the industry still consists of small, family-owned businesses. Experts and analysts of the industry have estimated that the top six funeral operators control 25 to 30% of all funeral services in North America, with the top four owning between 15 and 20% of all funeral homes.

Information to add under the History section:
 * The industry underwent changes as the public responded to Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death in 1963. The book was released at a time when consumer consciousness and empowerment altered Americans' buying and spending habits. Due to the response to Mitford's book, the Federal Trade Commission began its own investigation of the death care industry in the 1970s. By 1984, the FTC issued the Federal Trade Rule which included regulations such as requiring funeral directors to provide detailed, itemized price lists to all clients, informing clients that embalming is not required by law, and allowing clients to choose non-traditional alternatives.

Millennial Impact on the Modern Industry

 * Millennials have been raised in and grown up in a time of extreme technology growth. As such, the marketing strategies required to reach them will need to change. Several moves the industry may take include the use of technology, using social media, and offering non-traditional services or venues. Additionally, this generation is not only expected to impact the industry based on their spending but also through their labor. By 2030, millennials will constitute 75% of the workforce for the death care industry.

Services in the Industry
I've been having a difficult time trying to put together the religious influences section. I have been taking notes on the chapters I am using for research for that research, but I think I could use some help with fleshing out the ideas.
 * Funeral Homes
 * Funeral homes is one of the most diverse sub-sector of the industry as the operations of the funeral home includes selling burial and memorial products, memorial services and venues, and preparations of the body for burial or cremation.
 * Cemeteries
 * The operations that run at cemeteries include internment rights, burial and memorial products, as well as grounds maintenance.
 * Manufacturers
 * Manufacturers are the ones who actually create the burial and memorialization products including caskets, urns, and headstones.

Weeks 7-8
Hello Peer Reviewers! Everything from here down is what I have planned on adding and/or subtracting from the existing article on the death care industry in the U.S. I haven't been able to get too much added over Spring Break so hopefully I'll have some more information for you before you edit!

Religious Influences on Death Care Industry Trends
I still need to get the above mentioned book from the library as well as getting The American Way of Death. I feel like I might be rambling and I don't want to make any kind of suggestions as to how the different religions' customs affect the trends/statistics seen in the death care industry, but I don't know how to relate the customs to the industry without making "guesses" (i.e. that Islamic custom dictates burial over cremation whereas the trend in the overall U.S. industry is toward cremation).
 * Islam - According to the Prophet Mohammed, the deceased should be treated like the living which is why Muslims are never cremated or have their bodies desecrated in any way, they are always buried. The only time that cremation is acceptable in the Islamic faith is when there are breakouts or epidemics of disease and infection or if there is not enough room for burial, as is the case in much of India. In the United States, the space for burial is not so much an issue, however, Islamic customs for a burial soon after death tend to conflict with the speed at which cemeteries work in the United States. Muslims are also not embalmed which is another major practice in the U.S. death care industry.
 * Christianity - need to read Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief
 * Judaism - need to read Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief
 * Buddhism - need to read Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief
 * Native/Indigenous Religions? - seems to be an interesting chapter in the book Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief

I am working on adding some photos as well as graphs for the statistics section - should I make them or use one that I find while researching? Additionally, I plan on adding a timeline that is easier to read/follow than just a paragraph-filled history section. After I read the necessary parts of The American Way of Death I will comment on the trends in terms of historical and economical happenings at that time in the U.S. The reading we had in class shed a bit of light on this in which I can use for parts of the Burial versus Cremation section.

Comments
@Mayhem03: I really love how you have included a section on religious influences. I think that it would be really interesting to focus on the transition that certain religions have faced when it comes to traditions/practices surrounding death. Sort of how we watched the video of the public cremation, but then later found out that some modern cities have banned public cremation-- so how does that religious practice get watered down? Does that influence the certain religion's "Death Industry"?

I also would focus on expanding the history of cremation/burial/modern practices of the death industry. Maybe even have a whole section on modern death industry and talk about the underwater cemeteries, when people put their ashes in a pod to plant a tree, or maybe the industry that creates urns to store ashes? Kind of bouncing off that list we compiled in class of all the different burial practices we could think of, and link all those pages in order for your more general topic to serve as a jump off point for more specific research. Overall I really love the section you plan to add-- i think it will add great context to the page that many people might not even realize it is lacking. Lauramt1023 (talk) 01:28, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

Thank you for your feedback! I definitely plan to expand on the history section and add some subsections. I never even thought about the list we compiled in class so that is really helpful and something I will definitely be researching to add to the article. Mayhem03 (talk) 23:53, 25 March 2018 (UTC)

Week 6
History Section from Death care industry in the United States Additional ideas that will require some more research (just more in depth reading of the sites/books listed in Week 5): Sources not yet used in adding to the death care page but that will be used in the future (citations so that they will be added to the references):
 * The advent of embalming in the normal course of preparation of corpses for burial led directly to the transition of death care from a job predominately performed by women at home to an industry. During the Civil War, hundreds of soldiers died away from home and the process of embalming aided in preserving the bodies until they could be transported for burial. The process gained popularity after the funeral procession of Abraham Lincoln's embalmed corpse. Early techniques in embalming were primitive: an article in 1898, written in the Journal of Medicine and Science criticized and brought to attention the manner in which the arsenic used to preserve corpses had leeched into the soil and the groundwater near cemeteries. As a means of monitoring, and establishing the protocol for handling corpses, in 1898 the first mortuary schools were established,  along with the National Funeral Directors Association, which is still the leading industry association today.
 * My additions to the section:
 * NOT ADDED JUST COMMENTS: With some of the research I did, I found information that contradicted some material that was already written in this section on the actual article. I have highlighted this above and "corrected" with citations what I found to be contradictory. The first embalming schools were created in 1882 (Cincinnati School of Embalming), so I'm not sure if mortuary school is something different (I will ask on the Talk page of the article).
 * START OF MY ADDITIONS: Prior to the mid-19th century, the dead were prepared, dressed, and displayed by their own family. The body was displayed in a homemade or purchased casket in the family’s home. Wealthier families had “proper” rooms that held their finest possessions during viewings, and some family homes had a separate “death door” to remove the body as it was custom for the body not to cross a doorway where the living crossed.
 * Embalming emerged during the Civil War since many soldiers were dying on the battlefield and their families wanted their bodies sent back home for burial. Dr. Auguste Renouard, a pioneer in the field of embalming, published “The Undertakers’ Manual” in 1878. The first embalming school, the Cincinnati School of Embalming, was founded in 1882 by Joseph Henry Clarke, and in 1883, Dr. Renouard opened the Rochester School of Embalming. The push for embalming occurred simultaneously with the move away from families caring for the dead and for undertakers to organize themselves as “professionals.” The first professional trade association was established in Philadelphia in 1964.
 * The first national convention for funeral directors was held in Rochester, New York in 1882 after Alan Durfee, a Michigan funeral director planned a successful statewide convention. The first constitution of the National Funeral Directors Association was drafted in 1882.
 * I would like to add a section on Burial versus Cremation that will include statistics and descriptions of each with a brief history. I was thinking of using some information from Prothero that we read last week, The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford, and the readings for this week.
 * Another section I want to include is Religious Influences which will include information from the chapters I noted in Week 5 on how different religious beliefs/practices affect the choice of death care chosen which ultimately influences the death care industry. Since the U.S. is a melting pot, these religions are all practiced to some extent and are worth mentioning.
 * “Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief: Diversity in Universality”
 * “Buying an Afterlife: Mapping the Social Impact of Religious Beliefs through Consumer Death Goods"
 * "The American Way of Death"
 * "Muslim customs surrounding death, bereavement, postmortem examinations, and organ transplants"
 * "Mortuary Practices: Their Social, Philosophical-Religious, Circumstantial, and Physical Determinants"
 * "Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America"

Comments Week 6
Looks like you are off to a great start. Since you are using so many books, I suggest that you take a look at their bibliography sections and also the index in the back to identify what sections will be of most use to you. I would recommend looking at statistical reports from major industries, but make sure that you cite them properly. Remember that certain industries have a bias for/against their form of death practices (as we saw in the Prothero reading). But you can always list statistics or data from those sources by prefacing it with something along the lines of "According to the Association for such-and-such..." I appreciate how you wrote your notes in the sandbox and communicated with me what you were trying to do. Keep up the great organization here. Please don't forget to add the article to your student account. Alfgarciamora (talk) 22:24, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

Week 5
Article 1: Professional mourning
 * Sources
 * “Mourners” (https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Mourners): This article simply provides a list of relevant biblical verses that discuss mourners/so-called professional mourning.
 * “A Moirologist’s Notes” (http://www.jstor.org/stable/25305891?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents): This gives an account of an actual professional mourner. This account was very interesting to me, and I think it could be incorporated into the article to provide specific examples of this type of mourning.
 * “Controlled Attitudes of Professional Mourners in Ancient Egypt” (http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/controlled-attitude-professional-mourners-ancient-egypt/): This article discusses the professional mourners of Egypt. Specifically it examines gestures that were typical of these mourners in Ancient Egypt. This could be related in some way to a history of professional mourning.
 * “Requirements of Professional Mourners in Ancient Egypt” (http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/requirements-professional-mourners-ancient-egypt/): In addition to the previous article, this article mentions the requirements that were necessary of professional mourners in Ancient Egypt. This would be useful in discussing the act of professional mourning in terms of what the individual is expected to do or possess in order to effectively be a professional mourner.
 * “Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide”(https://books.google.com/books?id=uvtebmqZZDYC&pg=PA479&lpg=PA479&dq=professional+mourning+ugaritic+epics&source=bl&ots=SViRXBmU4Q&sig=lnBlMy5m7cvD02JTuvE_an77JpQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi54NOSoMHZAhXNt1MKHWmCANkQ6AEISjAH#v=onepage&q=professional%20mourning%20ugaritic%20epics&f=false): The part of the book that I am interested in discusses the Ugaritic texts that mention professional mourners. There is a sentence or two in the Wiki article that say “citation needed” and this could prove useful for not only being used as the citation, but for adding to that thought within the article.
 * "Smooth Words: Women, Proverbs, and Performance in Biblical Wisdom" (https://books.google.com/books?id=V_c3Ac5oCSsC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=professional+mourning+ugaritic+epics&source=bl&ots=aYlhGRJJYE&sig=YQ_Bb_z31SB5XTubt1TkBtXvO-8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi54NOSoMHZAhXNt1MKHWmCANkQ6AEITTAI#v=onepage&q=professional%20mourning%20ugaritic%20epics&f=false): The part of this book that I am interested in, again, looks to Ugaritic epics where professional mourners are mentioned. Once again, this could add to the discussion of Ugaritic texts or serve as a citation for the preexisting information that requires a citation.

Article 2: Viewing (funeral)
 * Sources: This topic, of the three I chose, was definitely the most difficult to find “scholarly” type sources for.
 * “Religious Perspectives on Holding a Viewing, Wake, or Visitation” (https://www.everplans.com/articles/religious-perspectives-on-holding-a-viewing-wake-or-visitation): This article gives insights into the various religious views on “viewings.” Each subheading leads to an article related to that specific religion’s funeral traditions. The religions listed include: Anglican/Episcopalian, Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Hindu, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Muslim, Presbyterian, and Quaker.
 * “Reality and Regret” (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02682620708657676): I thought this article would be an interesting addition to the viewing article. A section on the psychological aspects of viewing a dead body, especially in regards to sudden death, would be an addition that isn’t related to the dead, but to the living.
 * “Viewing the Remains” (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/281553/jewish/Viewing-the-Remains.htm): This article gives an explanation as to why there are viewings at funerals in America. It calls these viewings “quasi-religious” ceremonies as it has become commonplace. It also briefly discusses the American origin and nature of such viewing ceremonies. Adding a brief history to this page as well as the “why” aspect of viewings would be helpful for the page.

Article 3: Death care industry in the United States
 * Sources:
 * "Mortuary Practices: Their Social, Philosophical-Religious, Circumstantial, and Physical Determinants" (https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/bf02228990.pdf): This article seeks to discover the root of the various mortuary practices in the United States. While it examines different factors, the one of importance to improve the Death Care Industry Wiki is the “philosophical-religious” factor. According to the article, philosophical-religious factors are not well understood within American mortuary practices, but they are beginning to be more studied. The argument – backed up with many cited sources – is that philosophical-religious beliefs impact mortuary choices for those in the U.S. If used, further analysis of the reading as well as specific instances of religious beliefs impacting the choice death care utilized.
 * "Muslim customs surrounding death, bereavement, postmortem examinations, and organ transplants"(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2542725/pdf/bmj00454-0035.pdf): This article, published in BMJ, discusses the death customs of Muslims. If I continue to write on the Death Care Industry, I would like to add a section for death rituals and customs across different religious beliefs. According to this article, Muslims are buried and never cremated (I think this is interesting because in an article that I used last week for this Wiki page, cremations overall in the U.S. are on an upward trend – obviously the Muslim community is not contributing to this upward trend). Also interesting is the religious ritual of the body after death, as well as who is in attendance and who is involved in the funerary process. Funeral directors are rarely involved, meaning that, in addition to not contributing to the statistical increase of cremations, Muslims may not contribute a lot financially to the “death care industry.”
 * “Buying an Afterlife: Mapping the Social Impact of Religious Beliefs through Consumer Death Goods" (http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/9/167/htm): This article sheds light on the death industry market – and its success – as well as how consumers of this industry choose to have their loved ones laid to rest. It connects to the religious beliefs of consumers and how that impacts or influences their decisions.
 * “Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief: Diversity in Universality” (https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=A457AgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=jewish+death+rituals&ots=0avAWmuo5B&sig=HhD6VuG0S0Sv2Ws4ZLH098KnZHM#v=onepage&q=jewish%20death%20rituals&f=false): This book seems like it would really aid to the section I want to add on differing religious customs related to the death care industry. Different chapters including, “Mourning and Funeral Customs of African Americans,” “Mexican American Perspectives Related to Death,” “To Honor the Dead and Comfort the Mourners: Traditions in Judaism,” “Death and Dying in Buddhism,” “Islamic Customs Regarding Death,” and “Memorial Services among Quakers and Unitarians” will be helpful in being able to list different customs from varying cultural and religious backgrounds. All of this information is then tied back into the death care industry because all of the different practices require different types of death care.

Comments Week 5
You've done a stellar job here, Mackenzie. I think that you really have a host of information for any of these topics. Which one do you like the most? Looks like professional mourning and death care industry are the ones that you got the most research on - maybe consider going with one of those? I also know that Saad has been considering working on professional mourning as well. Alfgarciamora (talk) 22:40, 26 February 2018 (UTC)

Week 4
Article Evaluation - "Death care industry in the United States"

Everything in the article is relevant to the topic of the article. Some of the grammar mistakes within the article were distracting to me, but those are simple corrections. While there is not a lot of information to the article, it is definitely neutral. It states a couple statistics about the death care industry of the U.S. in terms of amount of money spent and number of cemeteries, funeral homes, etc. There were not any "viewpoints" to be found in the article per se. The article consists mainly of neutral facts. All of the citation links work. Although I could not discern a particular claim of the article, the sources did support the facts and information being conveyed to the reader. Each fact (the statistics presented) is referenced with an appropriate reference from a reliable source as deemed by Wikipedia. I wasn't sure if The New Yorker, Time Magazine, and The Atlantic Monthly were appropriate, reliable sources, or if it depends on what type of "fact" or information they are being used to back up. Other than those, the sources are neutral and mostly come from online sources. I found the source from Refinery29 to be questionable as a source used for the history of embalming. I think some of the information is old/outdated and could be updated, especially the statistics on the amount of money spent in the death care industry per year. In the History section, I believe that more information could be added as to practices prior to embalming taking off. I also think there could be some comparative information about the amount the U.S. spends/the death care industry in the U.S. in comparison to other countries. More information should be added about all forms of the death care industry, not just embalming. The statistics used are good, but more should be talked about with them. There was a conversation that was archived about a requested move. Other than that, not much has been said. The article is part of WikiProject Death and WikiProject United States. It is rated as start-class, mid-importance. We haven't talked too much about the way in which a physical body is handled post-death. This article gives a brief history of embalming becoming popular in the U.S. as well as some statistics.
 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * Are there viewpoints that are over-represented, or underrepresented?
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Nice work for this week. I want to emphasize that you should also include some kind of religious element to your writing on this page. Shouldn't be too much of an issue since there isn't much on there already! Keep up the good work. Alfgarciamora (talk) 16:08, 19 February 2018 (UTC)

Peer Review
I love the extent and depth to which you've taken your research thus far. This is a really great topic with what I imagine to be a plethora of good information with a lengthy extension of related topics and changing factors over time. I think for this specific topic, the History section will be vital in portraying the factual basis, historical evolution, and contemporary presence of The Death Care Industry. Don't be afraid to orchestrate a sort of timeline here, in which pivotal events of the industry's development are marked by dates and, of course, ordered consecutively. Discover where the industry began: this includes location, date, important people, and the societal need that the industry answered. Scrutinize how it evolved from that point, why did it change in that way, what was going on historically, what wasn't working that needed to be fixed, what was working. I think the History section will end up warranting the needs for several subsections, such as economic impact, political involvement, cultural shifts on handling death. You may find in your research the need to highlight certain time periods which may have caused a significant impact such as the Industrial Revolution or the Great Depression. I don't personally know much about the Death Care Industry, but I imagine that as your timeline approaches the modern age, you will be facing an enormous amount of information which will most likely need to be strategically organized into its appropriate subsections. Nonetheless, the contemporary industry will be one of the most important aspects to understand and dissect throughout your research. The beauty of Wikipedia is its ability to constantly be updated to stay current and relevant, so make sure you focus not only on historical data, but contemporary data. The existing Statistics section on this article caught my attention as it is interesting methods of studying the information behind the industry, which will aid and add to your research. What would be interesting to see is some sort of visual organization of the statistical data, instead of the current paragraph formation. Consider a simple table/chart or if you really want to be extra about it, you could include a pie, line, or bar graph made on excel (maybe that's too much, but just a thought!) Great work, I think you will find some really fascinating information throughout your research :) Cacrotty (talk) 14:39, 16 March 2018 (UTC)

Thank you so much for your peer review! I think a timeline is a fantastic idea and I am working to construct one now (hopefully one with some more modern history as well). I never thought about splitting up the history section to focus on different areas that impacted the industry, but I think this is a great idea! I will also start working on adding graphics to make the page more reader-friendly on the whole, especially the statistics section. Mayhem03 (talk) 23:50, 25 March 2018 (UTC)