This article examines the performances that funeral directors undertake in protecting the public from the disorder of death and in creating the “magic” of a funeral. Goffman's (1959) concepts of back-stage/front-stage performances are used to illustrate the tension that arises as funeral workers switch between these two elements of their professional role. Based on fieldwork study in a number of funeral establishments, we present examples of the stress that they may experience in their management of the boundary between life and death.
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