{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1773400,
        "msgid": "sociologist-says-corpse-washer-role-is-essential-yet-overlooked-1780077828",
        "date": "2026-05-29 22:56:45",
        "title": "Sociologist Says Corpse Washer Role Is Essential Yet Overlooked",
        "author": "Abdul Haris Maulana",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Anthropology",
        "summary": "A sociologist highlights the critical yet neglected role of corpse washers in Indonesian society, who ensure religious and dignified funeral rites despite facing social stigma and psychological challenges. Rakhmat Hidayat of Jakarta State University notes their vital contribution to maintaining human dignity at death, yet society's ambivalence leaves them invisible despite high demand.",
        "content": "<p>DEPOK, KOMPAS.com - Behind every solemn and peaceful funeral\nprocession lies a silent, often overlooked profession: the corpse\nwasher. They work in enclosed spaces, handling deceased bodies to ensure\nfinal farewell rituals comply with religious, ethical, and humanistic\nnorms. For Jakarta State University (UNJ) sociologist Rakhmat Hidayat,\nthe profession occupies a unique yet paradoxical position in modern\nsociety\u2019s social structure. From a sociological perspective, Rakhmat\nexplains that modern society tends to \u2018remove\u2019 death from public spaces.\nWhereas death was once a close part of family and community life, the\nprocess is now largely delegated to institutions such as hospitals,\nfuneral homes, and volunteer corpse-washing teams. Consequently, corpse\nwashers are a vital part of the social system, yet remain largely\ninvisible. \u2018They are essentially social ritual workers. Not only do they\nclean the body, but they also uphold human dignity until the end of\nlife,\u2019 Rakhmat says. However, due to direct contact with lifeless\nbodies, blood, and often traumatic conditions, social distance emerges\nwithin society. On one hand, they are needed; on the other, the\nprofession is rarely openly discussed or accorded equal recognition to\nother jobs. The phenomenon reflects social ambivalence: high demand for\nthe role coupled with symbolic avoidance. They face death daily,\nincluding in extreme cases like accidents or severe illnesses.\n\u2018Psychologically, they may experience mental strain, secondary trauma,\nand emotional exhaustion. Desensitisation to death can also occur,\u2019\nRakhmat states. Yet on the ground, many corpse washers develop survival\nmechanisms through spiritual and religious values. Religious faith,\nempathy, and acceptance of death help them maintain mental stability.\nAdditionally, social stigma persists. Some in society still fear or feel\nuncomfortable with the profession, associating it with the mystical. In\nsociology, this is termed social labelling: when a profession is\nassigned negative meaning by society. However, in some communities,\ncorpse washers are highly respected for their noble and devoted service.\nInterestingly, Rakhmat Hidayat argues that the work fosters a more\nreflective outlook on life. \u2018They witness daily that social status,\npositions, and human conflicts all end at the same point: death,\u2019 he\nsays.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sociologist-says-corpse-washer-role-is-essential-yet-overlooked-1780077828",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}