GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT

Death is the greatest enemy of man. It affects the family psychologically, physically, physiologically, socially, spiritually and economically. Death of a family member can have great and substantial financial and economic impacts on the family. It places serious financial burden, stress and much suffering on the family. The financial burden and economic impact is concerned with serious management of the family resources following the death of a family member. Death of a family member generally enormous challenges on the family economy. It has been expounded that death, funeral ceremonies and cost of dying were outrageously expensive with high economic impact on the family income. Economic disruption compounds the emotional shock of death of a loved one in the family. Economic burden on the family during the death of a member arises from different types of expenses such as: hospital bills/expenses, corpse transportation expenses, embalmment expenses, funeral expenses, religious rites expenses, cultural and traditional rites expenses, self-inflicted expenses, sudden death and burial expenses, after burial experience. Another economic burden is in the area of entertainment of guests during the ceremony. Assorted food item, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and bottled or sachet water are bought. People are made to cook or sometimes, depending on the family, professional caterers are paid to prepare the different food items to be saved. Gift items are also purchased to be distributed to guests during the funeral/burial ceremony. This also pose huge economic burden on the family. The study concluded that though death of a family member especially the breadwinner poses economic hardship on the family, with the support of well-wishers, most families go through this period with ease if they were not deeply in debt during the burial ceremony. The study therefore recommended amongst others that churches should place tougher restrictions on expenditure during funeral irrespective of family status.

KEYWORDS: Death, family members, Economic Burden