Funeral and Memorial Planning
Explore insightful research topic ideas for funeral and memorial planning. Discover the importance of effective funeral planning and how to create meaningful memorial services that honor loved ones.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Realyn Manalo
5/26/20253 min read
Despite death being an inevitable part of life, the subject of pre-need funeral planning remains largely taboo across many Filipino households. Conversations around death are often avoided due to deeply rooted cultural beliefs, religious sensitivities, and the perception that discussing burial plans invites misfortune. However, in an increasingly urbanized and financially conscious society, early funeral planning can play a significant role in reducing emotional distress and financial strain during periods of bereavement. With rising funeral costs, limited public support systems, and unpredictable health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos are slowly being pushed to reconsider the practicality and necessity of memorial preparation. Yet, there remains a disconnect between awareness and action. This research seeks to explore the underlying psychological, cultural, and economic barriers to pre-need funeral planning and to assess how existing persuasive strategies and societal frameworks can be improved to foster proactive, informed decisions about end-of-life arrangements.
Who Can Use These Topics
This research is ideal for students and professionals pursuing the following courses or strands:
College Programs:
BS Psychology
BA Sociology
BS Social Work
BS Nursing
BSBA Major in Marketing Management
BSBA Financial Management
Senior High School Strands:
Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)
Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM)
General Academic Strand (GAS)
Why This Topic Needs Research
The following are key gaps that highlight the need for further investigation:
Limited Demographic Coverage: While Payo et al. (2023) investigated persuasive tactics used by funeral agents, their study focused mainly on sales strategies and lacked insights into consumer-side behaviors, especially across different socioeconomic or regional groups.
Underexplored Cultural Resistance: Prior models like those in Monkge and Makgosa (2025) emphasized intention-based theories but did not sufficiently address how regional cultures and traditional beliefs delay or prevent Filipinos from engaging in pre-need death planning.
Lack of Longitudinal Impact Studies: Whitley et al. (2022) called for an examination of long-term behavioral patterns in memorial spending, but studies focusing on Filipino populations remain absent, especially when it comes to gendered expressions of care in funeral preparation.
Unmeasured Role of Digital Tools: Astratova et al. (2021) suggested that digital awareness campaigns might shift perceptions, but this has not been empirically tested among Filipino youth or middle-aged adults.
Lack of Psychosocial Intervention Models: While Tan et al. (2024) proposed integrating social work into funeral planning, its application in Filipino communities—particularly among informal settlers or low-income groups—remains unexamined.
Emotion-Driven Decisions Remain Under-Quantified: Korai et al. (2022) emphasized emotional interactions during funeral purchases but did not explore how negative emotions (e.g., guilt, grief) impact spending behavior or decision-making in the Philippine setting.
Neglect of Sociocultural Moderators in Alternative Rituals: Sadigov et al. (2021) confirmed the value of creative mourning, but no Filipino study has yet investigated how age, location, and religious identity affect the acceptance of non-traditional grief rituals.
Feasibility & Challenges by Target Group
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References
Astratova, Galina & Korchagin, Vasily. (2021). On the issue of consumer behavior in the funeral services market. Economic Environment. 41-52. 10.36683/2306-1758/2021-2-36/41-52.
Korai, B., Ouellet, C., & Cloutier, J. (2022). What are these strange things called emotions? An analysis of service interactions in the funeral industry: issues, implications, and future research directions. Services Marketing Quarterly, 43(2), 183-205.
Monkge, T. A., & Makgosa, R. (2025). Burying the dead: Predicting the purchase intentions for funeral products using the theory of reasoned action. Global Business Review, 26(1), 85-100.
Payo, E. M., Palaña, P. Z., Bajade, P. T., Relevo, S. M., Nacionales, J., & Claridad, N. (2023). The earthly reapers: investigating funeral businesses’ persuasive techniques used to convince Filipinos for advanced death planning. Journal of Language, Literature, Social and Cultural Studies, 1(2), 82-94.
Sadigov, T. (2021). Death beyond the means: Funeral overspending and its government regulation around the world. Rationality and Society, 33(3), 363-398.
Tan, W., Tsang, K. T., Su, J., & Zhao, K. (2024). Social work and funeral service: A proposed framework for practice. International Social Work, 67(3), 834-846.
Whitley, S. C., Garcia‐Rada, X., Bardhi, F., Ariely, D., & Morewedge, C. K. (2022). Relational spending in funerals: Caring for others loved and lost. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 32(2), 211-231.