本研究以台中地區的喪葬禮俗為例，希望透過台中地區喪葬禮俗的探討，瞭解目前台中縣市城市地區與鄉下地區有關喪葬禮俗的具體作法，在彼此差異性的比較中，進一步透過國小教師的問卷調查，瞭解現代人對於喪葬禮俗的看法以及未來建構合乎現代人需求的喪葬禮俗模式應有的方向。 整個研究分為六部分處理，第一部份為緒論，內容包括研究動機、目的、方法、程序、預期目標與成果，用意在於說明研究的方向與進行方式；第二部分為文獻探討，內容包括影響喪葬禮俗的傳統思想（含儒家、道教、佛教在內）、當代學者的研究成果以及相關法規條例的說明，用意在於說明整個研究的背景；第三部分為台灣喪葬禮俗之內容分析，透過儒家、道教、佛教喪葬禮俗內容的分析，瞭解目前台灣喪葬禮俗的主要內容，並進一步透過葬法演變與趨勢的探討，看出目前台灣喪葬禮俗未來發展的趨勢；第四部分為台中縣市城市地區與鄉下地區喪葬禮俗探討，在上述喪葬禮俗的大環境下，透過訪談的方式，瞭解目前城市地區與鄉下地區對於喪葬禮俗的作法，有關自然死亡、非自然死亡的處理方式，並省思目前台中地區喪葬禮俗的一些問題；第五部分為現代人對喪葬禮俗觀感之調查，透過台中地區國小教師問卷調查分析，具體瞭解一般人對於喪葬禮俗的認知與反應，並進一步發現未來喪葬禮俗改革可能有的方向；第六部分為結論與建議，在上述調查分析的基礎上，建構未來可能有的喪葬模式，並提供一些有助於喪葬禮俗改革的建議。 My research is to investigate the death customs in the urban area and the suburbs in Taichung. Through the questionnaires of elementary school teachers, I’d like to know what people think of the death customs nowadays, and furthermore, to make some appropriate changes of them to satisfy people’s demands nowadays. I divide my research into six chapters. Chapter One is the preface of the research.. This chapter is about research motivations, objectives, contents of research, goals and achievements; it is to explicit the direction of the research and how it works. Chapter Two is the research of documentation, including the research of the progress of Chinese death customs in every dynasty, the viewpoints of Buddhism and Taoism, and also the contemporary scholars’ analysis and the related laws and regulations and of the death customs. Chapter Three is the analysis of the contents of death customs in Taiwan. It is to search the origins and the future trends of death customs of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism inasmuch as to relate to the death customs in Taichung. Chapter Four is to investigate the death customs of Taichung city and the suburbs. I find out some differences in death customs between the death from natural causes and death from unnatural causes though the interviews with people. Chapter Five is the investigation of the viewpoints of the people nowadays. Through the questionnaires of elementary school teachers in Taichung, I try to find out the possible directions of the death customs in the future by knowing people’s viewpoints and reactions. Chapter Six is the conclusion and the suggestions. This chapter compiles the research results in order to provide suggestions and reconstruct the process of the death customs according to the investigation I've done.
