Exploring the world of contemporary mortuary practices, from the initial examination to the final cremation of the body, Representations of Death analyzes the ritual process at work and critiques the traditional models of grief. Mary Bradbury uses the social psychological theory of social representations to illuminate the perspectives of both the grieving relatives and the deathwork professional. The book shows how social representations--such as the perceived "goodness" or "badness" of a death--are an expression of a need to make death familiar and are anchored in current mortuary practices.