• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.321-331
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to determine how the people's view on afterlife affects their perception about shrouds. As part of analytical research, the survey was carried out to take a look at the basic thoughts that average persons have on afterlife. This paper also performed the survey on what the shroud reminds the subjects of. Specifically, the questionnaire survey was conducted to see what the people think the necessity and appropriate cost of shroud and see if they have any plan to get it provided in detail. Data from this work were statistically processed and empirically analyzed. Findings of this study can be summarized as follows. As to the funeral methods, the subjects in this work preferred cremation to burial. It was found that they recognized shrouds as necessary, but they did not have a thought in a serious manner that the suit for the dead would affect the repose of the dead and guide his or her soul to the heaven. Those respondents did not have any immediate plan to purchase shrouds, either. However, they considered the price of shroud as most important when they might come to choose the garment. With regard to the quality, it turned out that they preferred the domestic shrouds whose material are natural to those from foreign country. Also, they opted for such a kind whose shape is not so different from that of casuals they would usually wear and whose color is same to the main material of the original garment. The common material preferred most by the subjects was a hemp. The subjects' view of afterlife was not greatly related not only to how much they recognized shrouds as necessary but also to their preference for materials and patterns. On top of this, their unique taste for particular types of shroud was found to be significantly dependent on whether their view of afterlife is positive or negative, whether they firmly believe in afterlife, whether they take the absolute predestination and whether they accept the prayer-effect relationship in terms of psychology.