Death Attitudes Across Cultures

Death Attitudes Across Cultures
By Nicholas & Maryia

Outline
Introduction
Death-related Symbols Across Cultures
Grief and its stages
Grief Customs and Rituals Across Cultures
- African Cultures
- Asian Cultures
- European and American Cultures
 References
Martin Heidegger
(1889-1976)
Introduction
Death is a universal phenomenon
and experience. It is a reality each
person has to face at some point in
his or her life. Every society and
generation has constructed its
own solutions to the problem of
death, and has enshrined them in
their beliefs and customs.
Responses to death and the rituals
and beliefs surrounding it vary
widely across the world. The
meaning people attach to death
and the various mourning rituals
and ceremonies that they perform
are strongly shaped by the values
and institutions of their culture
and society (Hayslip & Peveto
2005).
Death-related Symbols Across Cultures
From a cross-cultural perspective, color has been used
almost universally to symbolize both the grief and
trauma related to death as well as the concept of
afterlife. The colors associated with death in most
cultures include:
Black – gloom, darkness, end. Customary to most
western and African cultures.
White – peace, purity, joy, eternal life with God.
Customary to most Eastern cultures.
Red – disaster, pain, sudden death.
Grief
Grief is a normal and natural response to loss of someone or
something. Grief has emotional, physical, cognitive, behavioral,
and social dimensions.
Stages of Grief
Kubler-Ross’ Grief Cycle Model:
Denial (this isn't happening to me!)

Anger (why is this happening to me?)
Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...)
Depression (I don't care anymore)
Acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes) (Kubler-Ross, 1979).
Temes’ Grief Model:
Roberta Temes is a renowned

psychotherapist whose work has become
a self-help guide for dealing with grief and bereavement. In
Living With An Empty Chair - a guide through grief (1980),
Temes accurately describes three particular types of behavior
exhibited by those suffering from grief and loss. These
include:
 Numbness (mechanical functioning and social insulation)
Disorganization (intensely painful feelings of loss)
Reorganization (re-entry into a more 'normal' social life.)
Grief Customs and Rituals Across Cultures
African Cultures
More outward expressions of emotions, such as loud crying and
Wailing.
Close ancestral family members and relatives make arrangements for the
funeral, offering support and share in the grief.
A wake-keeping is held at the home of the deceased every night from the
time of the death to the time of the burial. At the wake-keeping, people
chat, eat, drink, and share jokes.
Elaborate traditional funeral rituals are performed before and after burial.
A funeral ceremony followed by burial, entertainment and refreshment.
Cremation is not accepted in most African cultures. Most funerals occur at
home, churches or mosques.
Memorial services and commemorative gifts, usually after one year.
African Cultures
Asian Cultures
May express grief and mourning in private or openly displayed.
Close family and community members usually provide most of
the support needed during the grieving process.
Complex rituals are performed. E.g. In Chinese culture,
paper money, paper houses, and other material goods
are often burned in order to give the deceased good
“send off” and to ensure that they will not live in poverty.
In Indian culture, mourning is done in private and some family
members (e.g. mothers) may not go to the cemetery.
Traditional elaborate funeral ceremonies.
Most funerals occur in cemeteries. Hindus are cremated.
Asian Cultures
European and American Cultures
Visitation - A visitation is often held the evening before the day of the funeral.
However, when the deceased person is elderly the visitation may be held immediately
preceding the funeral. This allows elderly friends of the deceased a chance to view the
body and attend the funeral in one trip, since it may be difficult for them to arrange
travel; this step may also be taken if the deceased has few survivors or the survivors
want a funeral with only a small number of guests.
Funeral - A memorial service, often called a funeral, is often officiated by clergy from
the decedent's, or bereaved's, church or religion. A funeral may take place at either a
funeral home or church. A funeral is held according to the family's choosing which
may be a few days after the time of death, allowing family members to attend the
service.
The burial service - A burial service, conducted at the side of the grave, tomb,
mausoleum or cremation, at which the body of the decedent is buried or cremated at
the conclusion. In many traditions, a meal or other gathering often follows the burial
service, also called a repast. This gathering may be held at the deceased's church or
another off-site location. Some funeral homes have large spaces set aside to provide
funeral dinners.
American Culture
In the south, funerals, for the most part, continue to
be very “sacred” events (e.g. people pull to the side of
the road when a burial procession passes)
In the west, things can be radically different. A funeral
can take on a wholly secular aura (i.e. no mention of
God, no reading
from the Bible, no
sacred reflections,
and no spiritual
hymns)
Slavic Culture
Grief and mourning are usually openly displayed and
connected to local customs
Funeral process is much connected with Christian
traditions - Orthodox or Catholic
Some ceremonies are
based on superstitions (e.g.
covering of mirrors in the
house)
Funeral process differs for
people who committed
suicide
Reference
Hayslip, B. & Peveto, C. A. (2005). Cultural changes in attitudes toward
death, dying, and bereavement. New York: Springer Publishing Company
Kubler-Ross, E. (1979). On death and dying. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Co. Inc.
Sandra, L. L; JoAnne, M. Y; Brooten, D. (2006). Cross-Cultural beliefs,
ceremonies, and rituals surrounding death of a loved one. [Online].
Retrieved November 04, 2010 from Jannetti Publications, Inc.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/525639_1
Temes, R. (1980). Living with an empty chair - a guide through grief. New
Jersey: New Horizon Press.
 Samovar L.A. & Porter R.E. (2007). Communication between cultures 7e.
Canada: Wadsworth.
Tomer A. & Grafton T.E. (2008). Existential and Spiritual Issues in Death
Attitudes. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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Death Attitudes Across Cultures

By Nicholas & Maryia

Denial (this isn't happening to me!)

Roberta Temes is a renowned

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