Fashioning Shroud: A Social Innovation Proposal Connecting Fashion and Life & Death Education_Stage1

FASHIONING SHROUD STAGE I

A Social Innovation Proposal Connecting Fashion and Life & Death Education

Nottingham Trent University School of Art & Design Hong Kong Design Institute

ba

ifb

IVE

2018 / 2019

Module: Fashion Concepts and Innovation Project Module reference: FASH30006 Module Leader: Magnum Lam

Fashion Concepts and Innovation Project Declaration This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed.

Should this statement prove to be untrue, I recognise the right and duty of the Board of Examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the University’s regulation on assessment contained in its handbook.

I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project.

Signed ………………………………………………………………(Full Name) Wong Yuen Wa (N0834915) Date 28-01-2019 (Word Count:_____1490_____)

CONTENT

FASHIONING

SHROUD

07 Introduction 08 Background 09 Purpose & Aims 10 Literature 16 Proposed Research Methodology 18 Expected Outcomes 20 Work Plan 22 Visual Support 23 References 24 Bibliography

FASHIONING

SHROUD

INTRODUCTION The research area surrounded in Chinese funeral culture. Shroud refers to a length of cloth or an enveloping garment that which a dead person is wrapped for burial.

Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to burial sheets, mound shroud, grave clothes, winding-cloths or winding-sheets. (Wikipedia, 2018) Many traditional Chinese people regard death is a taboo topic. Taboo is generally acknowledged to be a sociocultural phenomenon associated with superstition, custom and hierarchical power. (Huang & Tian, 2009) They don’t like to mention it due to their religious background or some Chinese values. According to Yick & Gupta (2002), Cultural, religious, and social values shape the meaning attached to practices and beliefs systems. Therefore, Chinese people almost will not prepare their grave clothes before they pass away as that garment will bring bad luck.

Background “ if people feel pain in the final stage, this is not a “gift” because God created human and gave life which contains human dignity and value. ” - Hans Küng

Fig. 1 The Reporter, 2018

The inspiration for this topic area comes from a book named “Glücklich sterben?”, which talks about the perspective of theologist over euthanasia. The author is a theologist from Swiss and he supports euthanasia. He mentioned Christian advocate life is a “gift” that God has given to human and should not be destroyed. However, if people feel pain in the final stage, this is not a “gift” because God created human and gave life which contains human dignity and value. He deems that people have self-determination for survival and death. Based on this concept, people should have rights to plan their final stage and not restricted from so-called “taboo”.

In a certain extent, some people misunderstand the original meaning of shroud.

People have the preconceived idea that something related to death is taboo.

Nowadays, many elderly people confront death with a positive attitude as they understand that death is the necessary stage of one’s life. By contrast, most of the descendants do not tend to plan the funeral for their older family members or they may object they approach that things. Death is a final stage of one’s life and a funeral is the last memorial ceremony of life. The grave clothes are a significant element in the Chinese funeral just like people must have the wedding dress in the wedding ceremony as well.

FASHIONING

SHROUD

Purpose &

Fig. 2 HK01, 2017

Aims

The purpose of this project is to change the mindset of people think that the shroud is a taboo. It should be let people recognize the original meaning of shroud and the importance. Not only promote the life and death education through the shroud, but also preserve and inherit the Chinese culture of ancient clothing and Chinese embroidery craftsmanship.

THE

LITERATURE

Chinese Religions As I mentioned in the part of the background, the death attitude is closely related to the religious philosophy. As China is polytheistic, which people worship to different deity or ancestor for different purposes and also believe in local folklore. The three dominant religions are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.

Buddhism is the main religion in China, which belief in rebirth after death. Death is a way to Nirvana (Tse et al, 2003), which is a peaceful status. Taoism deems that life and death are natural processes. One becomes part of nature after people pass away so people do not need to grieve when facing death (Tse et al, 2003). Confucianism deems that people should not be afraid of death.

(Tse et al, 2003) The virtues of people is more important than life. Those concepts of religions are embedded in the death attitudes and practices.

Fig. 3 Wikipedia, 2019

Fig. 5 History Today

Fig. 4 mindvalley, 2018

Chinese Values

Also, some Chinese value like filial piety, familism, and emphasis of hierarchy extends from religious philosophy. Confucian emphasizes social relationship like the relationship between father and son, elder and younger, etc. so offspring should bear the obligation to providing material, emotional and psychological support to parents no matter they are alive or passed away. Therefore, people deem that ancestor veneration is necessary that is the way to express their filial piety to the ancestor. The ritual is the connection between ancestor and offspring.

Chinese & Western Culture In addition, many people in Hong Kong are Christian. Christianity is one of important religion in Western countries. The Western and Chinese beliefs and funeral practices about death are different. Chinese people emphasize familism. Life and death not only related to the individual but also the whole family clan. Western religion advocates personality and emphasizes the individual value which all build upon the subject of individually. (Shang & Liu, 2016) For instance, Western-oriented belief system emphasizes that grief is time-limited (Yick & Gupta, 2002), which is unlike Chinese people have the specified mourning period. Some ritual and sacrifices offer during the mourning period in Chinese custom, which is viewed as “grief work” for Western people (Yick & Gupta, 2002).

Yet, these “grief work” represent offspring respect their ancestor.

CHINESE Also, the meaning of funeral apparel and ob-

jects between Western and Chinese culture is different. The Chinese funeral needs shroud, coffin and joss money mainly. The Western funeral needs holy water, cross, and candle mainly.

Also, the main color tone of traditional Chinese funeral is white color. The family members of deceased must put on specific white mourning apparel which made of linen, and also the white flower decoration which put on the hair. However, white color represents the image of holiness in Western culture, which use in wedding mainly. The black color is the main color tone in Western funeral, which represents solemn.

WESTERN

Fig. 6 HK01, 2017

Chinese Shroud As I mentioned before, some people misunderstand the meaning of shroud. The shroud is not just put on the deceased or just use in the funeral but also it can be a birthday gift to some elderly people who are 60 years old as the original meaning of shroud is longevity and bring luck to elderly people. The embroidery pattern on shrouds like crane and pine tree mean longevity. Also, some auspicious animals like bat and deer mean lucky and fortune because of the pronunciation in Chinese of those animals same with those auspicious words.

Also, the shroud is closely related to Cheongsam and Kwan Kwa as regarding some limitation of the shroud that people put on after they pass away.

When ancestor passed away, they must over 60 years old and they must have offspring so they can wear the Chinese shroud in the funeral. (Leung, 2017) That represents they owned lucky and longevity when they are alive.

Therefore, the ancestor cannot put on the shroud in the funeral if they are single before they pass away. They should be wearing the Cheongsam or Kwan Kwa as the substitute of Chinese shroud. Also, the style and design of Chinese shroud almost same with Cheongsam and Kwan Kwa. The only difference is that the silhouette of Kwan Kwa is slim compared with the shroud so that Kwan Kwa can outstand the figure of the bride. The silhouette of shroud must oversize as the corpse of deceased is stiff and may swell.

Leung (2017) suggested that it is best to wear the shroud first before people pass away but Chinese people seldom to do this because of the taboo.

Proposed Research Methodology The combination of quantitative research and qualitative research will be the method of conduct this project. To learn the perspective of some descendant regard death and funeral issues, the project will be conducting questionnaire to people who live with elders to collect a higher level of objective data. Also, two separate focus groups will conduct with middle-age people which is between 55 to 59 years old and elderly people which is between 60 to 64 years old. The group which is between 55 to 59 years old belong the oldest group of middle-aged people. People regard the attitude of death and values may change due to they are about to enter the range of old age. Also, the group between 60 to 64 years old belong the youngest group of elderly people. The attitude of death and values may differ with middle-aged people although they are also belonging in the segment of “Baby Boomer�. Also, the documentary analysis is the necessary method in the research which include journal articles, books and website to support the history of Chinese funeral rituals and practices.

Research Limitation

The questionnaire limited to a particular problem so participants cannot express their additional thoughts in the research.

The variable of the focus group is unpredictable as less control over the data produced. Also, the group interview of focus group may not assure full confidentiality and anonymity as the information is shared in the group.

Fig. 7 ONCE Funeral Service, 2018

The project may create a production workshop or

create a customization platform to let people design and produce shroud for elderly people or let elderly people design and produce for themselves which according to their preferences. Offspring can express their filial piety to their eldership through to design and produce the shroud and also reinforce people understanding shroud and recognize the value of shroud in Chinese culture through the design and craftsmanship technique. Also, through the interaction between family members in the process, people may release the concept of “taboo� and change the preconceived mindset regard to the shroud thus encourage people to plan their funeral and also promote the life and death education.

Fig. 8 Stage 2 Timeline

Fig. 9 Stage 3 Timeline

Stage 2 will focus on conduct primary and secondary research as well as data analysis.

Stage 3 will evaluate the results of research that how to achieve the goal appropriately.

Visual Support Fig.1 The Reporter, 2018. Hans KĂźng, Swiss theologian [image] Available at: https://www. twreporter.org/a/opinion-good-death-euthanasia-catholic-theology [Accessed 25 Jan 2019] Fig. 2, 6 HK01, 2017. [Features of Ghost Festival] Traditional shroud: The styling of the deceased and the funeral culture and taboo [image]. Available at: https://www.hk01. com/117466[Accessed 19 Jan 2019] Fig.3 Wikipedia, 2019. Taoism [image] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Taoism [Accessed 25 Jan 2019] Fig.4 mindvalley, 2018. Buddhism [image] Available at: https://blog.mindvalley.com/different-types-of-buddhism/ [Accessed 25 Jan 2019] Fig.5 History Today, n.d. Confucian [image] Available at: https://www. historytoday.com/christopher-goscha/what-confucianism [Accessed 25 Jan 2019] Fig.7 ONCE Funeral Service_Facebook, 2018. Shroud [image]. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/OnceFuneral.Service/photos/ pcb.1572553899527421/1572546429528168/?type=3&theater

References Academic Journal (Yick and Gupta, Journal of Cultural Diversity, 2002, Vol. 9, No.2 pp.32-42) (Tse et al. Palliative Medicine, 2003, Vol. 17, pp. 339-343) (Hunag and Tian, 2009, International Journal of the Sociology of Language, Vol. 1990, Issue 81, p.63) (Shang and Liu, 2016, Journal of Shenyang University of Technology (Social Science Edition), Vol. 4, No.4, pp. 377-380) Websites (HK01, [Features of Ghost Festival] Traditional shroud: The styling of the deceased and the funeral culture and taboo. Online, Accessed 19 Jan 2019) (Wikipedia, Shroud. Online, Accessed 19 Jan 2019)

Bibliography Academic Journal Bai, Z. Y. 2012. “On Chinese Characters and Ancient Etiquette Culture” Journal of Yanan University (Social Science), Vol. 34, No.6, pp. 91-96 Carpenter, M. Y. 1996. “Familism and Ancestor Veneration: A Look at Chinese Funeral Rites” An International Review, Vol XXIV, No.4, pp. 503-517 Huang, H. X. and Tian, G. S. 2009. “A sociolinguistic view of linguistic taboo in Chinese” International Journal of the Sociology of Language, Vol. 1990, Issue 81, p.63 Shang, F. F. and Liu, Y. 2016. “Difference of funeral customs and its cultural reflection in China and Western countries” Journal of Shenyang University of Technology (Social Science Edition), Vol. 4, No.4, pp. 377-380 Sheung, T. C. et al. 2004. “Quality of life in old age: an investigation of well older persons in Hong Kong” Journal of Community Psychology, Vol. 32, No.3, pp. 309326 Tse, C. Y. et al. 2003. “Breaking bad news: a Chinese perspective” Palliative Medicine, Vol. 17, pp. 339-343 Yick, A. G. and Gupta, R. 2002. “Chinese Cultural Dimensions of Death, Dying, and Bereavement: Focus Group Findings” Journal of Cultural Diversity, Vol. 9, No.2 pp.32-42 Websites HK01, 2017. [Features of Ghost Festival] Traditional shroud: The styling of the deceased and the funeral culture and taboo [online]. Available at: https://www.hk01. com/117466/ [Accessed 19 Jan 2019] Wikipedia, 2018. Shroud [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Shroud [Accessed 19 Jan 2019]