Grief Work and Dirty Work: The Aftermath of an Aircrash

Abstract

Normally, death activities are carried out by organizations of death experts who create the impression of cooperation and personal interest. But when an airplane crashes and many people die, the “normal” problems are multiplied not just because of the number of deaths, but also because a complex system of phenomena develops to cope with the many deaths. This paper describes the activities of and the organizations responsible for the handling of the dead after a major airplane crash in which thirty-two people were killed. The author participated as a “death expert” and was able to gather data about death-related crash activities and events. A temporary service system emerged in which the service relationship was brief, intimate, and bureaucratic. The social organization and power structure confirm that organizational status is to some extent based on the character of organizational tasks. The bereaved, however, saw this interrelated set of specific service occupations as if it were one server that seemed uncontrollable and unconcerned about their personal losses.