11. Cultural Patterns and Death Flashcards
Death is a human experience that crosses all what?
National, racial, religious, and ethnic boundaries
What are the 2 societal responses to death?
- Theological view of life
- Design or purpose of death
What are the 3 categories of culture related to death?
- Death acceptance
- Death Defiance
- Death denial
Which death category of culture is this:
- Accepts death
- Celebrates death
- Views death as natural part of life
- Relationship didn’t end, it only transformed
Death Acceptance
Which death category of culture is this:
- In death nothing needs to be lost
- Take it with you
- View of an afterlife
- “I’m coming back”
Death Defiance
Which death category of culture is this:
- Death is unnatural
- Common use of euphemisms
- Detachment of funeral process
- Relegating family members to nursing homes or hospital to die
- Avoid conversations about deceased
- Belief: Avoid talk of death and it won’t happen
- death denial culture
Death Denial
What are the attitudes towards death in the hispanic / latinx community?
- Importance of family - we mentality
-Role of religion - Cultural activities
-Relationship between life and death
What are the death-related practices in
hispanic / Latinx communities?
- Care of the dying within home
- Presence at death
- Mourning practice
- After death rituals
- Ongoing connections
What is a novenario?
9 days of praying in latinx / hispanic communities
What are the attitudes toward death in the African American community?
- Importance of family
- A celebration of life (music and vivid)
- Importance of storytelling
What’s included in African American funerals?
Singing
Dancing
Declarations (accomplishments of the deceased and what they meant to you)
What are the death related practices in the African American community?
- Church “sisters” come to prepare meals
- Funeral music with gospel roots
- Mourning practices
- Everyone is family and go through mourning as a community
What are the attitudes toward death in the Asian and Pacific Island American communities?
- Communication issues (very private)
- Patriarchal and hierarchal
- Life Passing rituals
- Ancestor Worship
What are the death related practices in the Asian and Pacific Island American communities?
- Mourning practices
- Blending western and non-western elements in funeral
- Graveside visits
What color represents death / grief in the Asian Communities?
White
What are the attitudes toward death in the Native American communities?
- Role of nature and cycles of life
- Relationship between life and death
- Survivor action
- Post death journey
- It’s an honor to care for elders
What are the death related practices in the Native American communities?
- Caring for the dying
- Collective mourning practices
- Post death rituals
What are the attitudes toward death in the Jewish religion and culture?
- Kavod Hamet
- Nichum Avelim
- Shamar
- Chevrah Kadisha
- Tahara
How many relatives does the duty of mourning fall upon in the jewish community?
7
Who are the 7 relatives the duty of mourning falls upon in the jewish community?
Mother
Father
Son
Daughter
Brother
Sister
Spouse
What is the Kavod Hamet?
The requirement to honor the dead
What is the Nichum avelim?
The obligation to comfort the mourners
During Shiva do things such as bringing them food and doing their laundry
What is Shamar?
The concept of the official mourner
Stays outside the prep room praying the whole time
Who are the Chevrah Kadisha?
Those who prep the body
What is Tahara?
The process of prepping the body
What are the death related practices in the Jewish communities?
- Mourner’s Kaddish
- Keriah
- Shiva
- Sholoshim
- Yahrzeit
How long is Shiva?
7 days
How long is Sholoshim?
30 days
How long is Yarzeit?
A year
What is the Mourner’s Kaddish?
The last prayer for Yahrzeit
What are ways to help the bereaved?
- Step outside one’s own cultural beliefs
- Respect the customs and rituals
- Acknowledge your own limitations
- Be open to learning about cultural traditions and beliefs
- Identify areas of vulnerability and strength
- Accept variation in the experience of grief
- Learn from diversity of coping with loss
- Recognize that loss is a universal experience
